- Joined
- Mar 24, 2009
- Messages
- 24,324
- Likes
- 11,757
They need business with us but I think they will end up getting swamped by India. Enough Indian goods make it to pak via Dubai.
Pak's turnaround on MFN: PM says status not granted to India
- Thread starter Yusuf
- Start date
Param
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2010
- Messages
- 2,810
- Likes
- 653
Earlier I was reading an article by a Lankan journalist who compared MMS to Gujral and showered praises on him.
A visionary leader who wants friendship and goodwill with the smaller neighbors in S. Asia.
Another Gujral indeed.
johnee
Senior Member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2009
- Messages
- 3,473
- Likes
- 499
Yep. But commodities like vegetables(or such perishables) cannot be routed through Dubai...
johnee
Senior Member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2009
- Messages
- 3,473
- Likes
- 499
Gujral was perhaps misguided. But MMS is way ahead of him...
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2009
- Messages
- 24,324
- Likes
- 11,757
I don't think perishables is what we have in mind.
Manufactured goods would be the main target. But from pak we can get their perishables once trade is "normalized". We need price stability here when such food items are in short supply.
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2009
- Messages
- 24,324
- Likes
- 11,757
The Chinese don't need to dump their goods via pak. We have direct trade relations with them and it's heavily loaded in their favor.
johnee
Senior Member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2009
- Messages
- 3,473
- Likes
- 499
I am saying that perishables cannot be routed through Dubai while other commodities can be. Of course, once the trade is opened it will extend to all items. However, we must be careful when dealing with pakis, as always...
LETHALFORCE
Mod
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2009
- Messages
- 29,876
- Likes
- 48,555
Pakistan decides to grant MFN status to India
Pakistan decides to grant MFN status to India: Khar – The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has, in principle, decided to grant Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India, said Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday.
Responding to a question during 'question hour' in the National Assembly, she said that the dialogue process with India has been initiated after a gap of two years. "The top-most priority of the country is to ensure uninterrupted dialogue with India so that the resolution of core Kashmir could be ensured", she added.
"There are a number of achievements regarding relations with India. We have achieved ground on trade with India. First time in history, the Indian Foreign Minister had attended the reception of Pakistan Foreign Minister in New York," she said.
To another question Khar said that Pakistan wanted good relations with India by sticking to its principled stance on Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the will of the Kashmiri people and to be determined through a free and fair plebiscite under the UN auspices.
During the past three years, Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been discussed during all bilateral interactions between the leadership of the two countries as well as at the Foreign Secretary levels.
"I raised the Jammu and Kashmir issue with my Indian counterpart at the ministerial meeting in New Delhi in July 2011. The joint statement of the ministerial meeting underscored the need for continued discussion of Jammu and Kashmir in a purposeful and forward-looking manner with a view to finding a peaceful solution by narrowing divergences and building convergences."
Pakistan decides to grant MFN status to India: Khar – The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has, in principle, decided to grant Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India, said Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday.
Responding to a question during 'question hour' in the National Assembly, she said that the dialogue process with India has been initiated after a gap of two years. "The top-most priority of the country is to ensure uninterrupted dialogue with India so that the resolution of core Kashmir could be ensured", she added.
"There are a number of achievements regarding relations with India. We have achieved ground on trade with India. First time in history, the Indian Foreign Minister had attended the reception of Pakistan Foreign Minister in New York," she said.
To another question Khar said that Pakistan wanted good relations with India by sticking to its principled stance on Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the will of the Kashmiri people and to be determined through a free and fair plebiscite under the UN auspices.
During the past three years, Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been discussed during all bilateral interactions between the leadership of the two countries as well as at the Foreign Secretary levels.
"I raised the Jammu and Kashmir issue with my Indian counterpart at the ministerial meeting in New Delhi in July 2011. The joint statement of the ministerial meeting underscored the need for continued discussion of Jammu and Kashmir in a purposeful and forward-looking manner with a view to finding a peaceful solution by narrowing divergences and building convergences."
LurkerBaba
Super Mod
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2010
- Messages
- 7,882
- Likes
- 8,125
"in principle"
Adverb: in principle
With regard to fundamentals although not concerning details
LETHALFORCE
Mod
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2009
- Messages
- 29,876
- Likes
- 48,555
Instead of being a slave to foreign aid they should think a little bit longer term to improve the economy .They are losing out while all India's neighbors are benefitting from trade with India.
bhramos
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2009
- Messages
- 25,625
- Likes
- 37,233
Pakistan decides to give MFN status to India: Hina tells National Assembly
Pakistan has, in principle, decided to support the granting of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India. Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar stated this while responding to a question, during 'question hour' session of the National Assembly on Wednesday. We are moving consistently towards the track of resolution of the issues between both the countries, she said.
Hina said that dialogue process with India has been initiated after a gap of two years and the top-most priority of Pakistan is to ensure uninterrupted dialogue with India so that the resolution of core Kashmir issue could be ensured. Answering to another question, the Minister said that Pakistan has achieved ground on trade with India taking first positive initiative.
She said that for the first time in the history of the country, Indian Foreign Minister had attended the reception of Pakistan Foreign Minister in New York. She said that the India would also support Pakistan, the EU initiative at the WTO, where EU has moved a case for special market access for Pakistan.
The Minister said that Pakistan has a principled stance on Jammu and Kashmir. It is based on UN Security Council Resolutions that provide for the final disposition of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the will of the Kashmiri people to be determined through a free and fair plebiscite under the UN auspices, she added.
She said that during the past three years, Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been discussed during all bilateral interactions between leadership of the two countries as well as at the Foreign Minister and Foreign Secretaries level. Hina said that Pakistan-India dialogue process remained suspended between 2008-2010. Under the resumed dialogue process which started in February this year, Jammu and Kashmir dispute was discussed by the Foreign Secretaries and Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan.
"I raised the Jammu and Kashmir issue with my Indian counterpart Eternal Affairs Minister, Krishna at the Ministerial meeting in New Delhi on July 27, 2011. The joint statement of the Ministerial meeting underscored the need for continued discussions on Jammu and Kashmir in a purposeful and forward looking manner, with a view to finding a peaceful solution by narrowing divergences and building convergence's." She was of the view that a conducive environment is necessary for removing trust deficit between the two countries.
In another written reply to a question, the Minister said that a World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) was endorsed by the Summit Meeting. She said that the fund which caters to security and development related Projects in the FATA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, is now operational. She said that the contributing countries and organisation include Australia, Denmark, European Union, Finland, Germany, Italy, Sweden, turkey, UK and USA.
She said that the fund is financing 10 projects in the four Strategy Pillars namely, (i) Projects to restore Damaged Infrastructure 86 disrupted services, (ii) Projects to improve local and provincial services delivery, (iii) projects to support livelihoods and (iv) project support PCNA programme delivery through key governance interventions. She said that the fund received approximately US $140 million commitment.
Pakistan decides to give MFN status to India: Hina tells National Assembly | Business Recorder
MFN status for India | Newspaper | DAWN.COM
Pakistan has, in principle, decided to support the granting of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India. Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar stated this while responding to a question, during 'question hour' session of the National Assembly on Wednesday. We are moving consistently towards the track of resolution of the issues between both the countries, she said.
Hina said that dialogue process with India has been initiated after a gap of two years and the top-most priority of Pakistan is to ensure uninterrupted dialogue with India so that the resolution of core Kashmir issue could be ensured. Answering to another question, the Minister said that Pakistan has achieved ground on trade with India taking first positive initiative.
She said that for the first time in the history of the country, Indian Foreign Minister had attended the reception of Pakistan Foreign Minister in New York. She said that the India would also support Pakistan, the EU initiative at the WTO, where EU has moved a case for special market access for Pakistan.
The Minister said that Pakistan has a principled stance on Jammu and Kashmir. It is based on UN Security Council Resolutions that provide for the final disposition of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the will of the Kashmiri people to be determined through a free and fair plebiscite under the UN auspices, she added.
She said that during the past three years, Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been discussed during all bilateral interactions between leadership of the two countries as well as at the Foreign Minister and Foreign Secretaries level. Hina said that Pakistan-India dialogue process remained suspended between 2008-2010. Under the resumed dialogue process which started in February this year, Jammu and Kashmir dispute was discussed by the Foreign Secretaries and Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan.
"I raised the Jammu and Kashmir issue with my Indian counterpart Eternal Affairs Minister, Krishna at the Ministerial meeting in New Delhi on July 27, 2011. The joint statement of the Ministerial meeting underscored the need for continued discussions on Jammu and Kashmir in a purposeful and forward looking manner, with a view to finding a peaceful solution by narrowing divergences and building convergence's." She was of the view that a conducive environment is necessary for removing trust deficit between the two countries.
In another written reply to a question, the Minister said that a World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) was endorsed by the Summit Meeting. She said that the fund which caters to security and development related Projects in the FATA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, is now operational. She said that the contributing countries and organisation include Australia, Denmark, European Union, Finland, Germany, Italy, Sweden, turkey, UK and USA.
She said that the fund is financing 10 projects in the four Strategy Pillars namely, (i) Projects to restore Damaged Infrastructure 86 disrupted services, (ii) Projects to improve local and provincial services delivery, (iii) projects to support livelihoods and (iv) project support PCNA programme delivery through key governance interventions. She said that the fund received approximately US $140 million commitment.
Pakistan decides to give MFN status to India: Hina tells National Assembly | Business Recorder
MFN status for India | Newspaper | DAWN.COM
peacecracker
Regular Member
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2009
- Messages
- 294
- Likes
- 41
What are the products,services between India and Pakistan trade through Dubai,Singapore? I remember reading, hardware,cosmetics to dth sets are smuggled to Pakistan from India. but, which ones in large volumes are bought in pakistan?
thakur_ritesh
Ambassador
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2009
- Messages
- 4,435
- Likes
- 1,733
Trading With The Enemy
The Friday Times, Najam Sethi's Editoria
The granting of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) to India has confounded certain long-established political and ideological vested interests. The story of why Pakistan denied this status to India for two decades and why it has relented today is worth telling because it sheds light on a critical dimension of Pakistan's "national security doctrine".
The Pakistani military has always spurned the notion that trade with India could be beneficial in any way to Pakistan. "Trading with the enemy" was taboo because India stood to benefit more from it than Pakistan by running huge trading surpluses. That could not be allowed until the Kashmir issue was resolved to Pakistan's satisfaction. So after the 1965 war with India, all trade was banned, except a short list of necessary items.
The civilian leaders demurred, partly because they were often loyal creatures of the Pakistan military, and partly because they were corrupt and weak. Sections of trade and business went along with this national security doctrine because they stood to lose their Western trading franchises and monopolistic industrial practices in a protected market environment.
But China entered Pakistan's national security equation in the 1990s as the most favoured nation in the world. It seized the Pakistani market for consumer goods and destroyed its small-scale domestic manufacturing industry. Questions now began to be asked why India should be kept out especially since transport costs were lower across the borders and also because certain Pakistani exporters stood to benefit from reciprocal trade facilities with India. India seized on this political environment change to grant MFN status to Pakistan but Pakistan didn't return the compliment because the military was actually promoting jihad in Kashmir.
The Indians sought to use trade to build interdependencies between India and Pakistan so that the hatchet over Kashmir could be quietly buried in a mountain of profitable vested interests in Pakistan. By the same token, the Pakistani military was determined to thwart any such initiative. Under the circumstances, a clutch of feasibility reports commissioned by the Commerce Ministry under the Benazir Bhutto regime in the mid 1990s which proved that there were significant benefits to Pakistan from trading with India were quietly shelved. How could the "enemy" which was throttling Pakistan's "jugular vein in Kashmir" be a most favoured nation?
In 1998, Nawaz Sharif made a tentative move to dent this equation. Pakistan had surplus sugar and electricity for which there was demand in India and profits to be made in Pakistan by both the private and public sector. The nuclear tests had led to a US squeeze on the Pakistani economy and Sharif sought to break out of his regional straightjacket. But there were no significant transport facilities to enable such exports. The Indians wanted security guarantees that if they built such facilities on their side of the border these would not be left stranded in the event of any future conflict with Pakistan. So Sharif opted for "bus diplomacy" in February 1999 with India's PM to create the political space to expand trade and commerce. He also launched a back channel to resolve Kashmir. But the military sabotaged this initiative by launching an operation in Kargil and overthrowing Sharif.
General Musharraf's pet project was the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline. Iran had a gas surplus, India was facing a huge energy deficit but Pakistan was self-sufficient. All Musharraf wanted was to collect transit rent from Iran and India without giving any security guarantees for the pipeline in the event of conflict with India. He also did not want to open up trade with India. So nothing came of it.
Peace with India was high on Asif Zardari's agenda in 2008. But Pakistani terrorists with links to the military put paid to that in Mumbai.
Now MFN status has been granted to India because of two compelling reasons. The first is economic: the Pakistani economy is in a bind again because relations with America have soured and adversely impacted the aid pipeline; the IMF has pulled out because we are not ready to tighten expenditures and raise revenues, and inflation, unemployment and poverty are weighing on the public.
Cheap imports from India will help in controlling inflation just as exports to India will help the balance of payments. The second is political: the military is embroiled in a serious conflict on its western borders and wants to stitch up the eastern border with India so that it is not distracted from the job at hand.
Is this a paradigm change? It isn't if the Pakistani military is looking upon it as a tactical necessity. Should it be scorned? No, because opening up trade has its own powerful dialectic of enabling people on both sides of the border to establish and sustain mutually profitable and beneficial interests and contacts. It is the first step in the long journey to establish people-to-people contacts and help build stability, peace and prosperity in the region.
The Friday Times, Najam Sethi's Editoria
The granting of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) to India has confounded certain long-established political and ideological vested interests. The story of why Pakistan denied this status to India for two decades and why it has relented today is worth telling because it sheds light on a critical dimension of Pakistan's "national security doctrine".
The Pakistani military has always spurned the notion that trade with India could be beneficial in any way to Pakistan. "Trading with the enemy" was taboo because India stood to benefit more from it than Pakistan by running huge trading surpluses. That could not be allowed until the Kashmir issue was resolved to Pakistan's satisfaction. So after the 1965 war with India, all trade was banned, except a short list of necessary items.
The civilian leaders demurred, partly because they were often loyal creatures of the Pakistan military, and partly because they were corrupt and weak. Sections of trade and business went along with this national security doctrine because they stood to lose their Western trading franchises and monopolistic industrial practices in a protected market environment.
But China entered Pakistan's national security equation in the 1990s as the most favoured nation in the world. It seized the Pakistani market for consumer goods and destroyed its small-scale domestic manufacturing industry. Questions now began to be asked why India should be kept out especially since transport costs were lower across the borders and also because certain Pakistani exporters stood to benefit from reciprocal trade facilities with India. India seized on this political environment change to grant MFN status to Pakistan but Pakistan didn't return the compliment because the military was actually promoting jihad in Kashmir.
The Indians sought to use trade to build interdependencies between India and Pakistan so that the hatchet over Kashmir could be quietly buried in a mountain of profitable vested interests in Pakistan. By the same token, the Pakistani military was determined to thwart any such initiative. Under the circumstances, a clutch of feasibility reports commissioned by the Commerce Ministry under the Benazir Bhutto regime in the mid 1990s which proved that there were significant benefits to Pakistan from trading with India were quietly shelved. How could the "enemy" which was throttling Pakistan's "jugular vein in Kashmir" be a most favoured nation?
In 1998, Nawaz Sharif made a tentative move to dent this equation. Pakistan had surplus sugar and electricity for which there was demand in India and profits to be made in Pakistan by both the private and public sector. The nuclear tests had led to a US squeeze on the Pakistani economy and Sharif sought to break out of his regional straightjacket. But there were no significant transport facilities to enable such exports. The Indians wanted security guarantees that if they built such facilities on their side of the border these would not be left stranded in the event of any future conflict with Pakistan. So Sharif opted for "bus diplomacy" in February 1999 with India's PM to create the political space to expand trade and commerce. He also launched a back channel to resolve Kashmir. But the military sabotaged this initiative by launching an operation in Kargil and overthrowing Sharif.
General Musharraf's pet project was the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline. Iran had a gas surplus, India was facing a huge energy deficit but Pakistan was self-sufficient. All Musharraf wanted was to collect transit rent from Iran and India without giving any security guarantees for the pipeline in the event of conflict with India. He also did not want to open up trade with India. So nothing came of it.
Peace with India was high on Asif Zardari's agenda in 2008. But Pakistani terrorists with links to the military put paid to that in Mumbai.
Now MFN status has been granted to India because of two compelling reasons. The first is economic: the Pakistani economy is in a bind again because relations with America have soured and adversely impacted the aid pipeline; the IMF has pulled out because we are not ready to tighten expenditures and raise revenues, and inflation, unemployment and poverty are weighing on the public.
Cheap imports from India will help in controlling inflation just as exports to India will help the balance of payments. The second is political: the military is embroiled in a serious conflict on its western borders and wants to stitch up the eastern border with India so that it is not distracted from the job at hand.
Is this a paradigm change? It isn't if the Pakistani military is looking upon it as a tactical necessity. Should it be scorned? No, because opening up trade has its own powerful dialectic of enabling people on both sides of the border to establish and sustain mutually profitable and beneficial interests and contacts. It is the first step in the long journey to establish people-to-people contacts and help build stability, peace and prosperity in the region.
Galaxy
Senior Member
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2011
- Messages
- 7,086
- Likes
- 3,934
Pakistan grants India Most Favored Nation status
Pakistan grants India Most Favored Nation status
ISLAMABAD, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Federal cabinet of Pakistan Wednesday approved to grant the status of Most Favored Nation to India and agreed to boost the bilateral trade volume from 2.5 billion U.S. dollars to five billion U.S dollars.
The cabinet meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in capital city of Islamabad. The move would help to expand bilateral trade relations.
After the decision Pakistan would loose the import restrict from India. At present, Islamabad allows the import of only 1,946 items from New Delhi, whereas India does not allow trade of 850 items with Pakistan.
Visa policies between the two countries would be made lenient and both sides would also remove non-tariff barriers and all other restrictive practices.
India granted Pakistan MFN status in 1996, but Pakistan did not granted the same status to India because of the incidents events followed thereafter, and Mumbai attacks have exerted an adverse effect on the bilateral relations.
Despite the MFN status, Pakistan's cement, textiles and agricultural industries still have no access to India's market.
Chairperson of Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association welcomed the decision, saying that granting MFN to India is an economic issue by virtue of which Pakistan can gain a foothold into one of the fastest growing markets in the world.
Earlier on October 28, activists of militant organizations of Pakistan protested against the Pakistan government's move to grant Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India.
The protesters asserted that India should resolve the issue of Kashmir, a disputed territory at northeastern border of Pakistan which is occupied by both India and Pakistan, before granting the status of MFN.
In a statement, spokesperson of Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) said that Pakistan should have a cautious approach while granting the status of MFN to Pakistan because the two countries are rivals in the automobile industries.
Therefore, India and Pakistan are not allowed to compete in the auto sector, particularly through their bilateral trade.
In an earlier statement last month, a leader from the leading opposition Party of Pakistan PML-N expressed his reservations on this issue. He said that opposition and other stakeholders were not taken on board before taking the decision in this regard.
Cement manufacturers association of Pakistan welcomed the decision taken by government as saying that it would have a positive impact of the trade relations between the two neighboring countries.
Getting more trade moving over between Pakistan and India was agreed to during the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in 2008. But the attacks on Mumbai in November 2008 put those efforts in abeyance.
Pakistan grants India Most Favored Nation status
Pakistan grants India Most Favored Nation status
ISLAMABAD, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Federal cabinet of Pakistan Wednesday approved to grant the status of Most Favored Nation to India and agreed to boost the bilateral trade volume from 2.5 billion U.S. dollars to five billion U.S dollars.
The cabinet meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in capital city of Islamabad. The move would help to expand bilateral trade relations.
After the decision Pakistan would loose the import restrict from India. At present, Islamabad allows the import of only 1,946 items from New Delhi, whereas India does not allow trade of 850 items with Pakistan.
Visa policies between the two countries would be made lenient and both sides would also remove non-tariff barriers and all other restrictive practices.
India granted Pakistan MFN status in 1996, but Pakistan did not granted the same status to India because of the incidents events followed thereafter, and Mumbai attacks have exerted an adverse effect on the bilateral relations.
Despite the MFN status, Pakistan's cement, textiles and agricultural industries still have no access to India's market.
Chairperson of Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association welcomed the decision, saying that granting MFN to India is an economic issue by virtue of which Pakistan can gain a foothold into one of the fastest growing markets in the world.
Earlier on October 28, activists of militant organizations of Pakistan protested against the Pakistan government's move to grant Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India.
The protesters asserted that India should resolve the issue of Kashmir, a disputed territory at northeastern border of Pakistan which is occupied by both India and Pakistan, before granting the status of MFN.
In a statement, spokesperson of Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) said that Pakistan should have a cautious approach while granting the status of MFN to Pakistan because the two countries are rivals in the automobile industries.
Therefore, India and Pakistan are not allowed to compete in the auto sector, particularly through their bilateral trade.
In an earlier statement last month, a leader from the leading opposition Party of Pakistan PML-N expressed his reservations on this issue. He said that opposition and other stakeholders were not taken on board before taking the decision in this regard.
Cement manufacturers association of Pakistan welcomed the decision taken by government as saying that it would have a positive impact of the trade relations between the two neighboring countries.
Getting more trade moving over between Pakistan and India was agreed to during the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in 2008. But the attacks on Mumbai in November 2008 put those efforts in abeyance.
Pakistan grants India Most Favored Nation status
peacecracker
Regular Member
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2009
- Messages
- 294
- Likes
- 41
Pakistani Cements are banned because it is of inferior quality and most of theirs does not follow standards.
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2009
- Messages
- 3,563
- Likes
- 6,899
Pak grants India Most Favoured Nation status, trade set to go up
After dilly-dallying for several years,Pakistanon Wednesday granted the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India in a significant step in improvingbilateral tiesand boosting two-way trade currently standing at $ 2.6 billion.
"After a lengthy discussion and a briefing by the Commerce Secretary, the Cabinet unanimously approved the Commerce Ministry's summary to grant Most Favoured Nation status to India," Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan told a news conference.
The MFN status, which means that Pakistan will give trade treatment to India at par with its other partners, is likely to boost the bilateral economic ties. India had granted the MFN status to Pakistan way back in 1996. In 2010-11, India- Pakistan trade stood at $ 2.6 billion.
Pakistan's move to grant MFN status to India comes ahead of the November 10-11 SAARC Summit in Maldives, where the Prime Ministers of the two countries are expected to meet.
All stakeholders in Pakistan, including the military, were "on board" for the decision to grant MFN status to India, Awan said.
"The decision will lead to economic benefits and it is in the national interest," she said, adding that granting the MFN status to India would not in any way affect Pakistan's stand on the Kashmir issue.
During the meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, several ministers raised concerns on issues like Kashmir which were discussed at length, Awan said.
Read more at:Pak grants India Most Favoured Nation status, trade set to go up : Neighbours News - India Today
After dilly-dallying for several years,Pakistanon Wednesday granted the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India in a significant step in improvingbilateral tiesand boosting two-way trade currently standing at $ 2.6 billion.
"After a lengthy discussion and a briefing by the Commerce Secretary, the Cabinet unanimously approved the Commerce Ministry's summary to grant Most Favoured Nation status to India," Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan told a news conference.
The MFN status, which means that Pakistan will give trade treatment to India at par with its other partners, is likely to boost the bilateral economic ties. India had granted the MFN status to Pakistan way back in 1996. In 2010-11, India- Pakistan trade stood at $ 2.6 billion.
Pakistan's move to grant MFN status to India comes ahead of the November 10-11 SAARC Summit in Maldives, where the Prime Ministers of the two countries are expected to meet.
All stakeholders in Pakistan, including the military, were "on board" for the decision to grant MFN status to India, Awan said.
"The decision will lead to economic benefits and it is in the national interest," she said, adding that granting the MFN status to India would not in any way affect Pakistan's stand on the Kashmir issue.
During the meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, several ministers raised concerns on issues like Kashmir which were discussed at length, Awan said.
Read more at:Pak grants India Most Favoured Nation status, trade set to go up : Neighbours News - India Today
venkat
Regular Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2009
- Messages
- 907
- Likes
- 203
Have you ever tried straightening a dog's tail? latest news :
New Delhi: India has welcomed the grant of 'Most Favoured Nation' status by Pakistan but now there is confusion over the status of the Pakistani cabinet's decision. A press release posted on Wednesday night on the Pakistan government website said the cabinet had given the mandate to take the trade normalisation process forward with India 'to culminate in observance of MFN principle in its true spirit'.
The press note has since been removed and the two other press notes on the government's website makes no reference to the MFN status.
Even though Pakistan's Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan at a crowded news conference on Wednesday said that the federal Cabinet had unanimously approved a proposal to give India the Most Favoured Nation status, statements issued by the government merely said the Cabinet had cleared a proposal for "normalisation of trade relations".
The statements made no mention of the Cabinet approving the Commerce Ministry's summary or proposal for giving India the MFN status, as had been announced by the Information Minister.
Meanwhile, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia had welcomed the MFN status saying it was a good development in the relations between India and Pakistan.
"I think its a very good development, remember MFN is the normal
treatment that countries give to each other. I think its unfortunate that
we didn't have it. We always gave Pakistan MFN treatment, Pakistan never
gave us MFN treatment. But you know one shouldn't look backward I'm glad they
did and I think its a good move," Ahluwalia said.
With additional information from PTI
New Delhi: India has welcomed the grant of 'Most Favoured Nation' status by Pakistan but now there is confusion over the status of the Pakistani cabinet's decision. A press release posted on Wednesday night on the Pakistan government website said the cabinet had given the mandate to take the trade normalisation process forward with India 'to culminate in observance of MFN principle in its true spirit'.
The press note has since been removed and the two other press notes on the government's website makes no reference to the MFN status.
Even though Pakistan's Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan at a crowded news conference on Wednesday said that the federal Cabinet had unanimously approved a proposal to give India the Most Favoured Nation status, statements issued by the government merely said the Cabinet had cleared a proposal for "normalisation of trade relations".
The statements made no mention of the Cabinet approving the Commerce Ministry's summary or proposal for giving India the MFN status, as had been announced by the Information Minister.
Meanwhile, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia had welcomed the MFN status saying it was a good development in the relations between India and Pakistan.
"I think its a very good development, remember MFN is the normal
treatment that countries give to each other. I think its unfortunate that
we didn't have it. We always gave Pakistan MFN treatment, Pakistan never
gave us MFN treatment. But you know one shouldn't look backward I'm glad they
did and I think its a good move," Ahluwalia said.
With additional information from PTI
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2010
- Messages
- 7,869
- Likes
- 23,239
Because there was significant industrial output at our end. Pray tell me what industrial output does Pakistan have apart from textile, which is the only thing they can be proud of? No Automobiles, no heavy machinery, no strategic technology, no comparable pharmaceutical manufacturing or know how, no telecommunication modernization, no infrastructure giants.. what do they have to survive as an independent industry? Nothing!
Except for small personal level material (like the recent Indo-Pakistani trade convention we saw), they have nothing to withstand our goods. Expect their markets to be ravaged with our goods in the coming couple of years.
