The federal cabinet disapproved the decision by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), wherein the latter had attempted to open trade ties with India and import cotton, yarn and sugar from the neighbouring country.
The decision has been deferred until India reinstates Article 370 of its Constitution, which guaranteed a semi-autonomous status for Indian-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan had suspended all bilateral trade with Indian following New Delhi’s decision to revoke Article 370 in August 2019.
Prior to the cabinet meeting, Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said that all decisions of the ECC, including the resumption of trade with India, have to be approved by the federal cabinet.
The federal minister, in a tweet, said that ECC decisions can only be seen as “approved by government” after approval of the cabinet.
She further said that the federal cabinet meeting would discuss ECC decisions and only then government decisions will be taken.
Following the meeting, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in a video statement said that any normalisation of ties with India is out of the question until India does not revoke its August 5, 2019 decision.
Similarly, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, while addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting, asserting that trade cannot begin under the current circumstances.
He said that even though India-Pakistan relations can be a game-changer for the region and Pakistan wishes to normalise relations with the neighbouring state, things cannot progress until India revokes its August 5 move in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).
“If India commits a massacre against Muslims and refuses to give Kashmiri people their due right, Pakistan cannot have normal diplomatic relations with India,” he told media persons.
“We want to have good relations with India and move forward with our economy, but India should first revoke its August 5, 2019, move,” he maintained.
A day earlier, newly-appointed Finance Minister Hammad Azhar had said that the government has decided to import sugar and cotton from India.
Addressing the maiden press conference as the finance minister on Wednesday, Hammad had said that it has also been decided to import 0.5 million tonnes of sugar from India.
He had informed the media that prices of the commodity are lower in India as compared to Pakistan. “In comparison, there is a Rs15 to Rs20 difference in per kilogram price of sugar in the two countries.”
He had said that the import of sugar will improve the supply situation which will directly benefit the common man. He had further stated that sugar will be imported by the private sector.
“The price of the commodity in India is lower than what it is in Pakistan and this is the reason behind the decision,” Hammad had explained.
“The basis of our decisions will be the interest of the country and its people,” he had maintained. The minister had added that all government departments are working in coordination to provide subsidies to the masses.
Hammad had said that Pakistan will also open the trade of cotton with India. He had maintained that the government has to make tough decisions for the country in view of the given situation.
Keeping in view the demand for cotton in the country, the finance minister had said that the ECC, on the proposal of the Ministry of Commerce, had accorded approval for the import of cotton from India by the end of June.
Thank God some people had a functional brain in the cabinet meeting. It’s an absolute menace and Hammad Azhar is the worse choice. An Orator cannot be a finance minister and neither can be a Banker like Shaukat Tareen.. Does khan really has no other option of a qualified economist? Has our country failed to produce a single one?
This country’s FM is a joke. Better appoint professional clowns as FM.
WHEN A SHEEP-HEAD shifts its head all sheep herd moves heads accordingly, but they don’t know how sheep head is spreading legs playing handball below the table?
Are this bunch of clowns really think that India will loosen her grip over Kashmir for the sake of selling cotton and sugar to Pakistan? 😏 Or is it a process in which ‘Man proposes and (Boot) God disposes’? 😆 It appears that Pak citizenry and trading community is made fool on 1st April by Jokers of Jungle. 😅 Mulk Ke Kasaai, Janta Ka Kabaab Bana Kar Kha Rahe Hain; Aur Roz Paad Maar Maar Kar, Paki Chaarpaiyan Tod Rehe Hain. 😅😅
Pakistan and its rulers were really fooling the Pakistani public. Pakistan’s cabinet should answer why the ban was lifted if it was not to do trade. It is as if Imran Khan composed the play to divert attention from the failures of his government. First raise the public anger by removing the trade ban on India and then increase the feeling of nationalism by banning it again so that the attention of the public is diverted from the issues which are criticizing Imran Khan.