KARACHI: This is with reference to your editorial of October 14 titled “Welcome opening on the Wagah” in which you have welcomed Pakistan’s decision in principle to grant Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India. This has come after India took back its objections to the European Union granting trade concessions to Pakistan. India and Afghanistan have recently signed a strategic agreement. Under this, the Indians will train Afghan military, security and police officials. We do want good relations with our neighbour but this has to be based on equal footing.
Under the circumstances giving MFN status to India while allowing transit trade and other concessions, could jeopardise our national security. Furthermore, lifting barriers on Indian goods will create problems for our industry and cause workers in the sectors affected to lose their jobs.
Lt-Col (r) Mukhtar Ahmed Butt
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2011.
COMMENTS (11)
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Totally agree with the author!! Pakistan's national security will be jeopardized. As it stands, Pakistan is going through the worst security of its life time and to allow more open access to India will be hazardous. Pakistan must hold off and wait until it resolves other long outstanding issues with India. Business should be based on trust!
But let Pakistan keep up all the good work.
Ok!
But let India take following steps first:
let go of Pakistan's water share, our major industry & most of population depend upon this, stop terrorism in Kashmir, it is still un-finished portion of partition of India, our life-line must be rescued. stop negative propaganda in international media, which spoils our reputation, as India enjoys common interests & good relations with media giants of the world.@Brasstacks: Re economy, I as an Indian businessman supply engineering eqpts to Pakistan (albeit via Dubai) and am aghast to say that the cost of manufacturing is so high in Pakistan that your prices (for engineered products) is at par with few mid cost European countries like Italy , Poland, etc!!
Trade with India will certainly bring your import costs down and also give Pakistan a chance to develop its own small scale industry , believe me , wheteher you like it or not Indians and Pakistanois are so much alike in way of doing things.
Do not forget Afghanistan is a sovereign nation and as much Pakintan values and treasures its sovereignity (we hear lot of these words in context of drones/Raymon Davis etc) , so does Afghanistan treasures it sovereignity . Now just because Afghanistan is at your back yard does not mean that you feel threatened by whatever Afghanistan does or does not do !
Please let Afghanistan grow, and prosper, they have seen the worst of times under Taliban and earlier under corrupt puppets
Pakistan should not feel threatened by Indo Afghan closeness. If South Asia has to come out of its poverty rut , all differences should be kept aside for few dcades atleast.
No wonder , a fauji will always react the way Karnal sahab has said.Hope the present day Pakistan comes out of its "deep state" mentality and concentrates on grass root building its economy - India can certainly contribute a lot than your "deeper than ocean higher than Everest" friend China.
Khuda Hafiz
Kallu Mama (India)
Couple of points, Sirji. 1. Pakistan is enjoying MFN status since 1998. 2. What is the impact of Chinese imports on Pak economy? And kindly see the trade imbalance between Land of Pure and it's higher/deeper, all weather friend. Col Saheb, the major beneficial effect will be on Pak economy.
A very valid objection as currently Pakistan is right on top of the list of most secured country!
The security mind set is largely responsible for the present state of Pakistan.
Sir we both have to start coming close to each other by one or other mean.......it would be good for both of us..............holding gun without bread will lead us no were.
What nonsense! How does this jeopardise our security? Our workers and industry have to compete with every other country in the world and India is a threat? Indian demand for Pakistani exports complements our demand for theirs, if you want to see damage please go and see how our brotherly, deeper than oceans friendship with China has done to our local industry! Under WTO rules all WTO members grant each other MFN status, us not doing so while India had was against our international obligations. Bringing in Afghanistan and India relations into the equations goes back to the same paranoid, treat Afghanistan as a fifth province of Pakistan mentality that has brought our country to where it is today.
It defies logic and reason as to why opening trade routes between India and Afghanistan will jeopardize the security of Pakistan. In fact India and Afghanistan are the ones that should be worried about safe passage of their goods.
And yes, Pakistan and India are not equals any more. Pakistan is bankrupt and faced with natural calamities every year that it cannot cope with. But it wants to be treated on par with India !!!!!. Mr. Butt, you are living in a dream, wake up and face reality.