EAM S Jaishankar's Comment Sparks Pakistan Debate on Trade Relationship

While India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar was in Washington D.C., he was questioned regarding trade relations between India and Pakistan. He clarified that India had never halted trade with Pakistan, but rather it was the decision of Pakistan to halt the trade. He added that India even granted the status of "Most Favored Nation" to Pakistan, but it did not return the gesture. This statement has triggered a heated discussion in Pakistan.
Mixed Reactions among Pakistani Experts
Though the government of Pakistan has not yet responded officially, several foreign affairs experts have reacted. Former diplomat Abdul Basit admitted that Jaishankar was right about India's MFN status for Pakistan but pointed out the trade imbalance where India was getting more in trade. Basit also said that Pakistan's economy was too small to return the MFN status, and this imbalance had led to Pakistan stopping trade.
However, Basit proposed that India, being the larger country, should first initiate trade and restore MFN status which was withdrawn post the 2019 Pulwama attack. He stated that Pakistan still wanted to improve trade ties with India, as Pakistani consumers were able to avail cheaper goods from India.
Trade and Relations- S. Jaishankar
Jaishankar's remarks have been pointed to the broader issue of Indo-Pakistani relations. He mentioned that no one has accorded reciprocal treatment from Pakistan to their advantage, and the MFN status was an important matter for both countries. Experts like Pakistani commentator Kamar Cheema have also lambasted India's single-minded behavior, particularly about border matters and how Pakistan was treated on international forums.
Jaishankar's comments continue to fuel debate over how both countries should move forward with trade relations, especially after years of strained ties.