ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday said that a decision on the resumption of trade with India will be taken in consensus after consulting all the “stakeholders” on the proposal primarily from the business community of the country.
Speaking informally with beat reporters of the Foreign Office at an “Eid Milan Party”, Foreign Minister Dar said that the incumbent government is making all-out efforts to pull Pakistan out from the isolation and the “begging bowl” situation by creating an environment for trade and investment in a dignified manner.
“Pakistan is blessed with a huge potential. We have huge resources of minerals and other natural resources that need to be streamlined and we also need political stability. So, we have focused on it and the prime minister is also doing his level best and we are making all-out efforts to pull Pakistan out of this isolation, economic (crisis)… and to pull Pakistan out of this begging bowl,” he said.
Proposal on Indo-Pak trade resumption under study: FO
He said that efforts are also under way that Pakistan is able to do trade with all, and investment is coming into the country in a dignified manner.
To a question about any progress on resumption of trade with India, the foreign minister said that it was a proposal primarily from the business community, adding that deliberations with the business community are under way in this regard.
However, he added that any decision with regard to the resumption of bilateral trade with India will be taken with consensus after consultations with all the stakeholders.
Dar said that a high-level Saudi delegation led by Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan had just concluded a successful two-day visit to the country, adding that the Kingdom is ready to make a huge investment in Pakistan which will have positive results on the country’s economy. The foreign minister also announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and he would be visiting Saudi Arabia from April 28-29 to participate in the special meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh.
In Riyadh, he added that the prime minister will also hold bilateral meetings including with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to hold follow-up discussions on the consultations that were made in Islamabad during the visit of the Saudi delegation. About the expected visit of the Crown Prince to Pakistan, he said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had extended an invitation to the Crown Prince which he had accepted and the dates of his visit will be finalised at diplomatic channels.
He said that the prime minister will also participate in the OIC Summit being held in Zambia from May 4 to 5 which would be preceded by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting on May 2 to 3.
To another question, he said that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is scheduled to visit Pakistan on April 22, adding that Pakistan welcomes the Iranian leader.
On the Iran-Israel conflict, the foreign minister said that Pakistan has already explained its position that the Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus was against international laws and Iran’s action was in retaliation for that attack.
Responding to another question about the blocking of the social media platform, X, in the country, Dar said, those countries speaking against the blockade of the social media platform have also banned certain applications in their own countries. “So, we would be taking decisions based on our own national interests,” he added.
About Afghanistan, the foreign minister said that he recently had a “candid” interaction with Afghan interim foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi over the phone.
He said that the Afghan counterpart also invited him to visit Afghanistan, adding that he would visit Afghanistan at an “appropriate time” in consultation with the Foreign Office.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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