Himalayan News Service

New Delhi, March 19:

Pakistan is not averse to extending the most favoured nation (MFN) status to India but such a trade privilege could be given only if a level playing field is assured, Pakistan trade minister Humayun A Khan said. “The question you have in India, as we have in Pakistan, is why we are not giving most favoured nation status to India when India has given us the same. We have no apprehensions,” he said, “But th-ere has to be a level playing field.” “The fact is trade between India and Pakistan is growing fast. But it is heavily tilting in India’s favour. So these issues must be addressed,” said the Pakistan minister, here to attend a meeting of the group of 20 developing countries.

Khan said the issue of most favoured nation status was among those being discussed by a joint study group headed by the commerce ministers of the two countries. “They are studying each other’s regimes and will find a solution.” Khan said Islamabad was considering the expansion of the positive list of imports from India - a list that spells out the items that can be imported into Pakistan from India. “This is a constant process. We constantly receive petitions from Pakistani businessmen to add more items to the positive list,” he said, noting that the issue is looked at with great care and interest. Khan said Pakistan had spelt out areas it would like India to address to improve trade relations between the two countries. “I cannot say what these areas are specifically. But let me say we have given very strong observations. They relate to areas like tariffs, quality, sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues and logistics,” he said. According to Khan, the two sides are identifying seaports from where trade can take place.