Pakistan to ask EU for war compensation

[A.V.]

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will ask for compensation for losses it suffered for being the frontline state in the war on terror in terms of greater market access at the European Union Summit scheduled in April.

Commerce ministry officials said that Pakistan would place three proposals for enhanced trade through facilitation and market access in the EU, sources told Dawn on Saturday.

Pakistan’s delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the summit and officials of commerce ministry will accompany him.

According to presentations prepared by the commerce ministry, Pakistan being the frontline state in the war on terror has suffered over $45 billion worth of economic losses during the past few years.

According to the first option, Islamabad will ask the European Union members to sign a free trade agreement with Pakistan.

The second option calls upon the EU to accord Pakistan Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) ‘Plus’ status for enhanced trade market access.

The third option says that EU leaders should consider immediate concession regime for Pakistan to compensate its trade losses by allowing import duty concessions in products of Pakistan’s exports interest.


http://beta.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connec...stan-to-ask-eu-for-war-compensation-730-rs-05

 

[sky]

You have to hand it to pakistan,over the last 60 odd years they have perfected the victim role to a tee,Then ask for goodies in return.The eu should ask them for compensation as its pakistans mess they are trying to clean up.

 

[ajtr]

Compensation of trade losses incurred in war on terror

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will place three proposals for enhanced trade market access to the European Union Summit scheduled for April for compensation of trade losses owing to being the “frontline state in the war against terror”, official sources told Daily Times on Saturday.

A delegation from the country is expected to reach the summit’s venue so that bilateral negotiations with EU member countries could be held for improved political support at the summit.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, along with a team of Commerce Ministry officials, have recently participated in preparatory meetings to gain more support from the EU member countries and “it is expected that this effort will yield its results at the EU Summit,” the sources said.

Being the frontline state in the war against terror, the country’s economic losses have been estimated at over $45 billion for the last few years and the war is expected to continue to negatively impact Pakistan’s economy, they said, adding that the first option to be pursued before the heads of the EU member countries is to ink a Free Trade Agreement with Islamabad, as the EU is negotiating similar arrangement with the country’s trade competitors, especially India.

“The second option to be placed before the EU summit would be to provide Pakistan a Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Plus status for enhanced trade market access, so as to enable the country’s exporters to compete with it’s competitors,” the sources said, adding that the third and crucial option that Pakistan would request to the EU Summit would be to consider immediate concession regime for the country, to compensate its trade losses by allowing import duty concessions in products of Islamabad’s exports interest.

Explaining this option, the official sources said that signing the Pak-EU FTA and granting GSP-Plus status to Pakistan would require a long period to complete bilateral consultation and the legal documentations process and that allowing Pakistan immediate trade concessions would help it improve its balance of trade.

The Indo-EU trade was worth some 75 Billion USD last year. The Pakistan-EU trade was around USD 8 Billion. Where is the competition ?

 

[Vinod2070]

We should also ask Pakistan for compensation for all the terror that it has perpetrated in India. Afghanistan should ask for compensation for all the genocides and barbarity by their Taliban proxies.

Then the Bangladeshis! Pakistan will be broke if they are made to pay up.

Wait, they already are.

 

[Vinod2070]

Compensation of trade losses incurred in war on terror



The Indo-EU trade was worth some 75 Billion USD last year. The Pakistan-EU trade was around USD 8 Billion. Where is the competition ?

They should compete with Afghanistan now.

It is called Af-Pak for a region. They are in the same league.

No point in even talking about India. We just have nothing in common and there is no question of any competition.

 

[johnee]

Do Pakistanis think EU is over-flowing with money?

 

[Armand2REP]

War compensation! Pakistan must be out of its mind. We already give €300 million per year in development aid. The $45 billion in economic losses is their own fault for supporting the problem. Taliban wouldn't exist if ISI didn't prop them up for all those years.