Type: Parliament Questions and Answers

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to satate :-

(a) whether India has asked Pakistan to quickly extend the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status;
(b) if so, the response received by Government from Pakistan Government; and
(c) whether it would help to translate into action the intent of the trade relaxations roadmap agreed to by the two countries in September, 2012; if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI E. AHAMED)

(a) to (c) During the Commerce Secretary level talks held in Islamabad on September 20-21, 2012 Pakistan agreed to a roadmap of measures for normalization of bilateral trade relations between India and Pakistan, which included transitioning to MFN status for India in accordance with its obligations under WTO. This included the following steps: (i) Pakistan would notify removal of all restrictions on trade through Wagah-Attari land route, (ii) thereafter India will bring down its SAFTA sensitive list by 30%, (iii) Pakistan would transition fully to MFN (non discriminatory) status for India by December 2012, (iv) India to will thereafter reduce the SAFTA Sensitive List to 100 tariff lines at 6 digit level by April 2013, (v) Pakistan to simultaneously notify dates of transition to bring down its SAFTA sensitive list to 100 tariff lines at 6 digit level within next 5 years.

As Pakistan has not taken the first step i.e. notification of removal of all restrictions on trade through Wagah-Attari land route the roadmap that includes transition to MFN status for India, has remained unimplemented.

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Pakistan
South Asia