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Abdul Razak Dawood, adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on trade, has supported the resumption of trade with India, which was suspended by Islamabad in August 2019 after New Delhi revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Trade with India is the necessity of the hour and beneficial for both countries, Dawood said during a media interview on Sunday, Dawn News reported.
“As far as the Ministry of Commerce is concerned, its position is to trade with India. And my position is that we should trade with India and it should be opened now,” said Dawood, who also serves as an adviser to the Prime Minister. about textiles, industry, production and investments.
“Trade with India is very beneficial for everyone, especially Pakistan. And I support it,” he added, according to the Dawn News report.
Dawood’s comments raise hopes for a partial revival of bilateral trade relations between Pakistan and India, which were suspended after New Delhi’s decision of 5 August 2019 to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
In March 2021, the Pakistan Economic Coordination Committee lifted a ban on sugar and cotton imports from India. However, the decision was quickly withdrawn when it turned out that the big step had been taken by the Pakistani Ministry of Finance without involving all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
India’s move to revoke special status from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 sparked outrage in Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad.
Pakistan also cut all air and land connections with India and suspended trade and rail services.
India has said it wants normal neighborly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. India has said it is up to Pakistan to create an environment free from terror and hostility.
India has also told Pakistan that “talk and terror” cannot coexist and has asked Islamabad to take demonstrable steps against terror groups responsible for launching several attacks on India.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)