Pakistan has recently witnessed a flurry of official statements regarding the potential resumption of trade with India. Within a brief timeframe, both Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Pakistan Foreign Office have broached the subject of rekindling trade relations with India.
According to Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson for the Pakistan Foreign Office, there is an ongoing review of a proposal to restart trade with India. This confirmation follows earlier remarks by Ishaq Dar regarding the business community's keen interest in revisiting trade restrictions with India. Baloch emphasized that the assessment of such proposals is a routine practice within the Pakistani government, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as they diligently consider all requests while evaluating existing policies.
Recalling a statement by Dar about the business community expressing interest in review of restrictions on trade with India, the spokesperson said, “Examination of such proposals is a regular exercise in the government of Pakistan, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where we continue to consider all such requests and assess our policy.”
While affirming the current stance of Pakistan on the matter, Baloch reiterated that there have been no alterations in their position thus far. Ishaq Dar had previously indicated on March 24th that relevant stakeholders “seriously examine” the trade scenario with India, citing concerns raised by the business community.
The importance of ameliorating relations with neighboring countries, including India and Afghanistan, was underscored by former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last December. He emphasized “We have to fix our affairs with India and Afghanistan as well, [and] strengthen them further with Iran and China.”
Dar further emphasized that the business community frequently voices appeals and demands regarding the trade situation with India, signaling a growing interest in exploring avenues for economic collaboration between the two nations.
