Pakistan will take forward MFN status promise: Sharma
January 23rd, 2012 - 9:09 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) Pakistan, which last year in principle agreed to grant Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India, should keep its promise and implement the new trade regime soon, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said Monday.
“I am sure that what they have said they will be in a position to take it forward and do it,” Sharma told reporters here when asked whether Pakistan was going back from its promise of granting India MFN status.
Sharma was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a Saarc Business Summit organised by Ficci here.
The Pakistani cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Nov 2, 2011, decided in principle to grant MFN status to India.
However, Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Amin Fahim last week said the decision was still under process and has not yet been implemented.
Once the MFN status is granted, Pakistan will have to treat India on par with its other favoured trading partners. India has already granted MFN status to Pakistan and is treating it on par with other trading partners.
In a bid to push forward the decision and boost two-way trade and investment, Sharma, who is also the minister of textiles, is scheduled to visit Pakistan in mid-February.
Sharma will be leading a high-level business delegation comprising chief executives of almost 100 Indian companies, said Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) president R.V. Kanoria.
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- Trade potential making India, Pakistan lift barriers - Feb 20, 2012
- Pakistan to name India 'most favoured' trading partner by yearend? - Oct 02, 2011
- Pakistan to grant MFN status to India - Oct 13, 2011
- India, Pakistan target doubled trade in three years - Sep 28, 2011
- No MFN status yet for India: Pakistani minister - Jan 18, 2012
- Pakistan commerce minister in India September-end, MFN likely - Sep 05, 2011
- India, Pakistan must remove barriers to boost trade: Ficci - Feb 10, 2012
- Pakistan to introduce negative list trade regime with India - Feb 29, 2012
- Pakistan envoy meets Chidambaram; says no U-turn on MFN - Nov 04, 2011
- 'Trade can lead to peace between India, Pakistan' - Feb 15, 2012
- India welcomes Pakistan's move towards MFN - Mar 01, 2012
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