No talks of trade resumption with Pakistan, says Indian FM

WASHINGTON: India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, stated on Wednesday that there have been no discussions with Pakistan regarding the resumption of trade.

He made these remarks while addressing reporters at the Indian embassy in Washington, where he attended the inauguration of former US President Donald Trump on Monday.

Responding to a question on trade, Jaishankar said, “Since last year, there have been no talks with Pakistan on trade, nor has any initiative come from their side.”

He emphasized that India never halted trade with Pakistan and noted that it was Pakistan’s government that decided to suspend bilateral trade in 2019.

Indian elephants on epic journey to tycoon’s giant zoo

“Our stance has always been that India should receive Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status. We extended MFN status to Pakistan, but they never reciprocated,” Jaishankar explained.

Pakistan, under the leadership of then-Prime Minister Imran Khan, suspended all trade with India in August 2019. The move came as a response to India’s abrogation of Article 370, which revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Alongside the trade suspension, Islamabad also downgraded its diplomatic ties with New Delhi.

Web Desk