Thaindian News

Islamabad, Nov 4 (IANS) Pakistan’s decision to grant Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India is a step in the right direction as this country “really needs greater harmony in the region”, a Pakistani daily said Friday.

“It bears mention here that it is Pakistan’s economy that is in greater need of help,” an editorial in The News International said on Pakistan’s decision Wednesday to grant India MFN status.

Every decision inevitably has its pros and cons, but MFN status to India is a welcome decision, the editorial said.

It added that moving beyond Pakistan’s increasingly messy internal politics, “what the country really needs is greater harmony in the region”.

“The act of granting India MFN status marks a step in the right direction. While the issue of Kashmir has been raised by some who oppose the move, the fact of the matter is that the Kashmir issue also can only be settled through dialogue; and trust between the two countries and a readiness to work together are prerequisites for dialogue.”

It went on to say that India-Pakistan ties “need to recover from the deep rift that was caused by the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the aftershocks of which are still being felt”.

“Further efforts to build normalcy in relations between the two countries are therefore necessary.

“As far as trade goes, ties with India can only benefit people on both sides of the border. For this reason alone, approving the MFN status is an important step that can help set us back on the road to peace with India - a development that is vital to the safety and welfare of our people,” the editorial noted.