Finance
Since August2019, when Islamabad suspended trade relations in response to New Delhi’s decision to abrogate Article 370 and 35A and revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, Pakistan’s newly elected Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has expressed the “serious intent” of his government to reconsider trade relations with India. This move would be crucial to a change in policy and stance.
The Pakistani Foreign Minister, who is in London for the Nuclear Energy Summit, made his first and most important remarks about relations with India at a news conference.
Dar emphasized how eager Pakistan’s business community is to see commerce with India resume, and he also hinted at Islamabad’s potential for a significant change in its diplomatic approach and posture toward its arch-rival and neighbour India.
“We will seriously look into matters of trade with India,” he said while answering a question on Pakistan-India relations.
Dar’s statement seems to be part of the newly formed government’s five-year road map focused on opening economic corridors of trade and business with neighbouring countries including India and paving the way towards economic revival for Pakistan.
Dar said that it was the wrong decisions of the Imran Khan-led government that pushed Pakistan on the verge of an economic collapse, adding that the previous 16-month government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif compromised its political gains and took difficult unpopular decisions to save the country from a financial meltdown.
“Our government would implement a five-year road map to put Pakistan on the road to economic progress and bring down inflation to lessen the economic difficulties of the common man,” he said.
Pakistan’s newly formed government under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif looks focused on the prime issue the country faces and seems to be ready to open all possibilities of engagement with important neighbouring countries like India.
Dar’s remarks coincide with the approaching elections in India, where all political candidates would undoubtedly center their campaigns on India’s relations with Pakistan.
While Pakistan is putting forth a policy-based plan for the two nations to resume their diplomatic ties, India has made it clear that it wants Pakistan to act against extremist terror groups that have participated in the commission of terror attacks in India.
India has always insisted that Pakistan has done more to protect anti-Indian organizations, individuals, and elements on its territory than it has to combat terrorism, and that this is why any form of engagement between the two nations must come first.
However, Pakistan maintains that the Kashmir dispute must be the first item on the agenda for any table talks, with government representatives saying that such negotiations cannot take place without addressing the conflict.
Experts surmise that Dar’s remarks may allude to a potential change in Islamabad’s stance, but any additional action on it would need more thought and effort from both parties.
Source:OCN
