Pak's turnaround on MFN: PM says status not granted to India

[ALBY]

Islamabad: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has made it clear that Pakistan has not granted the Most Favoured Nation status to India, saying the Commerce Ministry has only been tasked to move forward on the issue in bilateral negotiations. "The Cabinet has only given its approval in principle to move forward on the issue (of MFN) and permitted the Ministry of Commerce, which is actively engaged in trade talks with New Delhi, to negotiate with it trade-related issues," Gilani told reporters at his home in Lahore.

"We will give it the go-ahead if the situation is quite favourable and in the national interest. Otherwise, proceedings on it would be withheld," the Premier was quoted as saying by the media. Gilani's remarks came against the background of a flip-flop by the Pakistan government on the issue of whether India had been granted MFN status.

Information Minister Firdous Awan had announced on Wednesday that the Cabinet had "unanimously approved" a proposal to give India the MFN status. The Foreign Office subsequently clarified the Cabinet had only taken an in-principle decision on the issue and both countries would have to work towards the goal in further engagements.

According to one media report, Gilani said during his interaction with the reporters that the MFN issue does not involve the army. The Premier was quoted by The Express Tribune as saying that only the business communities and stock exchanges of Pakistan and India are "legitimate stakeholders" in the issue and both were "on board" along with the parties in the ruling coalition.

However, during her news conference on Wednesday, Information Minister Awan had said that all stakeholders, including the military and defence institutions, were "on board" on the MFN issue.

The issue of normalising trade ties also figured in Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar's consultations yesterday with top military officials, including ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha.

Gilani said the Commerce Ministry would have to make important decisions independently in bargaining with India over trade policy and hence it had sought the Cabinet's go-ahead. He contended the Cabinet did not have to refer decisions made on the MFN issue to Parliament.

"We can brief Parliament over the Cabinet's decision of going ahead with MFN, but according to my point of view it is not necessary. Only Cabinet approval is necessary to negotiate with other countries," he said.

Parliament would be briefed at an "appropriate time", he added. Gilani said liberalisation of trade with India would benefit Pakistan's economy. "It does not mean that we have given up our stand on other issues, including Kashmir. Look at the rising trade volume between China and India despite their border disputes," he noted
Manorama Online | Pak's turnaround on MFN: PM says status not granted to India

 

[sesha_maruthi27]

Think pakistan is afraid that the people of pakistan may earn more money and would prefer INDIA rather than pakistan. So, is the Indian Economy and a large quantity of Micro Economy goes un-noticed. But in a inter-country or border trade there is some strict rules, but compared to pakistan, the people from pakistan who come to do business in INDIA, earn lot of money than they get in pakistan.

 

[venkat]

ha!!ha!!!ha!! reminds me again a dog's tail story!!!

 

[p2prada]

ha!!ha!!!ha!! reminds me again a dog's tail story!!!

They remind me of dogs and tails and associated stories everyday.

 

[maomao]

These people from the failed states are pathetic, shameless and funny......Yet, I know they will be payed by corporate cartels in India and the MFN status will be passed by flying colors.....'Dollar Ki Chahat'!!

 

[JAISWAL]

another example of those scumbags two face politics and a slap on our GOI.
They should also revoke mfn for pakis

 

[nitesh]

he he he

Bangladesh votes against Pakistan in WTO

 

[nitesh]

I guess now pakis should nuke BD

 

[Pintu]

Auto industry wants NTBs on Indian goods | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

Auto industry wants NTBs on Indian goods
By: Salman Abduhu | Published: November 13, 2011

LAHORE - Following the granting of MFN status to India by Pakistan, both the countries should allow transfer of technology through joint ventures and technical assistance agreements, making the regional industry competitive, say auto sector experts.
They proposed imposition of 'Pakistan's Automotive Non Tariff Barriers like Pakistan's Vehicle Safety Standards, Pakistan's Vehicle Quality Standards and Pakistan's Vehicle Logistics & Trade Standards etc.
"However, this can only be possible through capacity building, including human resource development and availability of vehicle testing equipments, of government agencies like Ministry of Science & Technology, Engineering Development Board and Ministry of Industries & Production," they added.
PAAPAM Chairman Nabeel Hashmi, while talking to The Nation, said that there were Pakistan-specific barriers, including lack of infrastructure at ports of entry, bureaucratic and administrative mishandling, visa restrictions and surveillance of visitors to India, banking limitations and restrictive trade routes.
He said that loopholes in evaluation at ports, under invoicing and mis-declaration are some of the major concerns which if addressed, would have given some sort of confidence to local industry. He asked the government to consider the fact that the industry contributes 5 percent of total FBR collection; 1.4 million Pakistanis are earning their livelihood through the industry; automobile industry constitutes 15 percent of large scale industry and has second largest investment after energy sector in Pakistan.
Therefore, government always restricted automobile imports in all their international agreements and commitments e.g. it is included in Negative List of Afghan Transit Trade Agreement of 1965; included in Appendix G for restricting trade of such items from India; and it is also considered while preparing 'Sensitive List' for South Asian Free Trade Area [SAFTA]. Sensitive List under SAFTA means allowable imports with 'No tariff concession'.
Pakistan is producing just 20 percent of current automobile in India. During 2010-11, India manufactured 2.50 million cars, 12.671 million motorcycles, 0.548 million tractors, 0.799 million rickshaws, 0.548 million tractors, 0.408 million light commercial vehicles, 0.318 million multi utility vehicles [means ambulances, television communication vans etc.], 0.344 million buses & trucks [Source: www.acmainfo.com] whereas Pakistan is producing 0.119 million cars, 0.034 million LCVs, 0.003 million buses & trucks, 0.070 million tractors, 0.8 million motorcycles and just 0.015 million rickshaws. Furthermore, India is sourced with all world renowned automotive players as compared to just four car manufacturers in Pakistan. Major automotive raw materials of the industry like steel, copper, technical assistance agreements backed with trained human resource are already available in India.
The government while pursuing the initiatives like trade with India should realize that it already has the most liberal used car import policy which shows that there is no preparation for the likely impact of opening trade with India.
Currently Pakistan allows 1,996 items' import from India under Appendix G of Import Policy Order, which constitutes a positive list. This will now be replaced by a negative list. Being signatories to General Agreement on Trade and Tariff (GATT) both the countries were bound not to display discriminatory attitude in trade with any of the member countries. He said that in the first phase the trade with India be initiated with the import of raw materials, machinery and equipments, moulds and dies etc.
He said that the government has been taking anti industry measures for last couple of years which is not only hurting the car makers but resulting in devastating impact on vending industry as well.
He said that the government should have prepared itself first as well as the industry before embarking on such an expedition, the haste is not understandable while the industry has been consulted at a stage where it seems to be a formality only.

 

[anoop_mig25]

Can we follow American -Cuba type relations with Pakistan ? It should be end of story with Pakistan.

 

[Tshering22]

another example of those scumbags two face politics and a slap on our GOI.
They should also revoke mfn for pakis

No they won't. The government will lose votes from AMAN KI ASHA types liberalist vermin that plague influential portions of the nation's society like media and stuff. Example, Mahesh Bhatt the terrorist supporter. Do you seriously think this government will do such a wonderful act?

 

[nitesh]

So here we go, pakis get free money, and we didn't got what our PM has promised:

WTO approves EU package for Pakistan | Business | DAWN.COM

 

[Blackwater]

garet jaag uthi.lollllll it will be pakis who is and will be the looooserss

 

[Ray]

ISLAMABAD: The WTO's Council for Trade in Goods on Wednesday approved a European Union (EU) waiver on customs duties for 75 items, mostly textile related, from Pakistan to help the country recover from 2010"²s floods.

If it was not done, even the illegal immigrants, who are running scared of detection, would not buy the stuff!

They obviously did not want the illegals to be running around nude!

 

[nitesh]

this is new twist:
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[hit&run]

Pakistan's anti India itch has now turned into scabies. They can not feel comfortable with anything to do with India even if they want to because the disease is yet untreated, will remain untreated.

Pakistan Army calls all the shots but these bigots also rather rushing towards secretariat or drafting tables, when it comes to negotiating with India rush towards the Mosque. Not only the politicians but media channels too. I remember watching a program where a famous Pakistani journalist invited a panel of Mullahs and asked them to give reference from Islamic texts how to act when a Kaffir offers friendship.

 

[sukhish]

No one gives a shiiitt about jui anymore. He is nothing but a rant man