— Dawood asserts issue can be raised at World Trade Forum
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood said on Sunday said New Delhi has not informed Islamabad about withdrawing Pakistan’s status as Most Favoured Nation (MFN).
India on Friday had announced the withdrawal of MFN status for Pakistan, following the attack on Indian forces in Pulwama, a move which would enable India to increase customs duty on goods coming from Pakistan.
The status was granted by India in 1995. The grant of MFN status means that a country will treat all World Trade Organisation member states equally in matters of tariffs on imports.
At least 44 Indian paramilitary soldiers were killed on Thursday in Srinagar-Jammu Highway in Awantipora area of Pulwama district. The soldiers were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off as a convoy of military vehicles drove by, some 20 kilometers from the main city of Srinagar.
Later, India had leveled allegations of Pakistan’s involvement in the attack and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had threatened Pakistan with a “befitting response”.
However, Pakistan Foreign Office denied all allegations as Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi asserted that Modi’s dream of “diplomatically isolating Pakistan shall remain unfulfilled”.
Speaking to a private media outlet, Dawood said: “We are looking into the withdrawal of MFN status by India. We can speak to India about this issue.”
He further said Pakistan can raise this issue at different forums including the World Trade Forum.
