Pakistan Not to Normalize Trade with India Without Dialogue: Minister

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, July 23, 2003

Pakistan Not to Normalize Trade with India Without Dialogue: Minister

Pakistan has ruled out any possibility of normal trade with India unless sustainable political talks are initiated between the two neighbors, local English newspaper The News reported Wednesday.

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Pakistan has ruled out any possibility of normal trade with India unless sustainable political talks are initiated between the two neighbors, local English newspaper The News reported Wednesday.

The paper quoted Pakistani Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar as saying Tuesday in Karachi that trade with India at full swing or extending the Most Favored Nation (MFN) status to India is too early as both countries first need to settle their outstanding issues.

"We are not in a haste to award India MFN at this particular juncture," Humayun told reporters after addressing a conference held in the south port city by the country's Export Promotion Bureau.

Trade ties and air links between India and Pakistan were frozenwith their diplomatic relations being downgraded after the terrorist attack on the Indian parliament in December 2001.

The two rivals resumed their diplomatic relations early this month with exchange of high commissioners. However, the trade tiesand air links have not yet to restore.

New Delhi wants to give priority to the bilateral trade and says dialogue can not start unless Pakistan ends its alleged support to the "cross-border terrorism" in Kashmir, while Islamabad prefers resolving their outstanding issues through political dialogue to trade negotiations.

It is estimated that Indian companies have suffered a lot afterthe trade ties and air links between the two neighbors were cut off.

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