Islamabad, Aug 31: Granting MFN-status to India is not on the table "for the time being" as Pakistan's "own interests have to be defended first", Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has said.
The remarks by Dar, a close aide of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, came within days of the World Bank saying in a report that Pakistan will benefit from granting Most Favoured Nation (MFN)-status to India.
Dar said in an interview with state-run PTV that granting MFN-status to India was not on the table "as our countrys own interests have to be defended first".
Pakistan moved from a positive list regime to a negative list regime for trade with India last year, significantly increasing the number of items that can be traded between the two sides.
However, Pakistan missed its own December 31 deadline for phasing out the negative list and giving India MFN-status.
Dar's remarks indicated that the PML-N government which came to power in the May 11 election too is reluctant to act on the issue.
MFN status to India not on table Pakistan FM Lastupdate:- Sun, 1 Sep 2013 18:30:00 GMT GreaterKashmir.com