![minister of state for education balighur rehman said the status will be made on the basis of mutual interests photo file minister of state for education balighur rehman said the status will be made on the basis of mutual interests photo file](https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/610030-indiapakistan-1380256260/610030-indiapakistan-1380256260.jpg)
Pakistan will not grant status of Most Favored Nation (MFN) to India till tension exists on its eastern border, Minister of State for Education, Balighur Rehman told lawmakers on Thursday.
“We cannot grant MFN status to India at a time when there is tension on the border,” said Rehman while responding to a supplementary question by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Arif Alvi.
Alvi had advised the government to work on new strategy for promoting business relations with India. Rehman, however, did not explain how the government will modify the term MFN.
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Speaking on behalf of the Minister of State for Privatisation, Rehman said a decision on giving India the status will be made on the basis of mutual interests, including the resumption of the composite dialogue process.
Relations between the two nuclear neighbours soured after killing of soldiers on both the sides along the Line of Control (LoC) last month. Islamabad and New Delhi have accused each other of violating the ceasefire.
Regarding delay in awarding the MFN status to India, Ministry of Commerce, in its reply, informed the National Assembly that Islamabad did not meet the timeline of December 31, 2012, because it was consulting with other ministries and also the private sector stakeholders to assess and evaluate a level playing field enjoyed by Pakistani exports to India. Non-tariff barriers being faced by Pakistani exporters and issues of market access of Pakistani products to India are also being considered.
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“Elimination of the negative list after the approval of the Cabinet will imply the grant of MFN status to India,” stated the ministry. Responding to a question of MNA Rana Afzal of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the minister counted various benefits of awarding MFN status to India, adding that consumers will gain access to goods at a competitive rate thus increasing purchasing power.
The ministry of commerce would bring the case for complete normalisation of trade relations with India to the Cabinet for approval after further negotiations with India. He informed the lawmakers that items under the negative list regime for trade with India had been reduced to 1,209 from over 2,000 items.
Opening of Khokhrapar-Monabao route for trade
Minister of Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan said that a joint working group on this issue has been constituted, and internal consultations are in progress.
The first meeting of the group will be held after concluding internal consultations, he added. A decision on opening the Khokhrapar-Monabao route for trade was taken by the commerce ministers of Pakistan and India during their meeting in February last year.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 27th, 2013.
COMMENTS (29)
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Don't trade with those who kidnap, murder, and rape your brothers and sisters in Kashmir.
To all Indians who are so obsessed with Pakistan that they have to read pakistani news websites: if India does not need MFN status from Pakistan, then why are your leaders begging for it?
@Aakashvaani: How about you brushing your ignorance and spend those change on your own nation ??
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasingpowerparity
Why is the Minister of State for Education even talking about trade. Why not concentrate on education and leave trade to the relevant ministry!
YAAAWWWNNN...zzzz
Exactly. Why are we begging for MFN with India. It should be the MNFN status.
OMG ...India is doomed :)
Damn the MFN, Let's have FTA.
How does this help - and why is a Minister of Education making policy statements on India?
It is amazing to see the number of Indians on a Pakistan based website. Aren't there no respectable news sites left in India?
the minister counted various benefits of awarding MFN status to India, adding that consumers will gain access to goods at a competitive rate thus increasing purchasing power. My Indian friends please read out the entire article before jumping into comments section. Pakistan is working out on some technicalities for striking out the deal. We hope it gets done sooner. Also I must add here that ET has also been not very professional in selecting out the title of news item.
As if India is dying for it.
OMG. What will happen now? Why a economic superpower like Pakistan doing this injustice to us? :P
To the outside world, MFN stands for free trade between countries. Can anyone inform what is the translation in Urdu in Pakistan?
Nice, anyway who asked for MFN? Pakistan is the least developed in South Asia, if India wants to tackle poverty it needs good relations with China and other developed countries not Pakistan. Whatever India might gain for trade with Pakistan will not worth that much, instead we should increase tax for the Pakistani artists and businessmen who do business with India thereby we can increase revenues for India.
Brilliant logic. My people kill your soldiers on LOC, so I will fail to honour my commitment to give you LOC even thou ugh you have done what you promised to.
India have already given MFN status to Pakistan.Good decision by Pakistan, it will definitely resolve all financial problems of Pakistan.
Although it doesn't effect us.....Time to block EU preference trade deal........take matter to WTO for sanctions.........
LOL ... dont woorryy ...nobody cares in India ... and Thanks but NO thanks ...please DON'T
Help both nations economically? Pakistan couldn't help Pakistan without help from World bank. With the value of international business India does every year, we could buy Pakistan's economy with pocket change.
Thanks Pakistan, keep your goods to yourself. India doesn't require to trade with Pakistan when there are hundreds of other countries who are willing to trade and do business with India.
Granting MFN status should not be delayed as it will help both nations economically.
Finally some sense.
Good for Pakistan. No one in India cares whether you grant or not.
Resolve the Kashmir issue then do whatever you wana do MFN or Aman ki Aasha or IPL/ICL.
As If India is begging for MFN status from Pakistan.
Thanks pakistan . We don't need any trade with pakistan.