Pakistan delays ‘Most-Favoured Nation’ status to India over ‘regional situation’

ISLAMABAD: Former defence and foreign minister Khurram Dastagir Khan, whose tenure ended with the government’s completion of term a day ago, said the decision to grant India the status of Most-Favoured Nation would be taken at a time more congenial and appropriate for the two countries.

Khurram Dastagir Khan was addressing the media in the Foreign Office here on the last day of the current PML-N government. He was asked about reports on giving India MFN status.

He mentioned that positive developments had been made in giving India non-discriminatory market access (NDMA) on the pattern of most-favoured nation status but the decision was delayed due to the regional situation.

He said the Indian leadership after the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi started issuing “aggressive statements and postures against Pakistan” but Pakistan in reaction followed a measured approach to provocations.

“We believe that regional connectivity and enhanced regional cooperation is the panacea for all ills facing our region,” he said, adding “Pakistan faces Indian aggressive posture on the LoC and WB with equal and proportionate equanimity”.

He hoped for a new vigour in ties with India after the upcoming general election in Pakistan.

“With a new government in Pakistan in less than three months, and one to form in India next year, we hope that a fresh vigour and mandate will be brought to the relations between both countries,” he said.

At one point the minister said that Pakistan adopted “a future oriented approach” with India but “our gestures were not reciprocated”.

“In return, we have received negativity and aggression from India, with no dialogue at any level. We really hope that the new governments in both Pakistan and India are able to instill a fresh impetus in the relations between both the countries,” he said.

He, however also warned India over continued firing across the Line of Control.

“If India has an assessment that it can pressurise Pakistan by deliberately heating up the LoC and the WB (working boundary), they are mistaken. We are vigilant at our physical, as well as ideological and diplomatic borders and are fully prepared to defend and safeguard them,” he said.

“The agreement recently reached by the DGMOs is a welcome development”, he added.