Pak to grant MFN status to India: Khar

Islamabad, Oct 13 (PTI) Pakistan has decided in principle
to grant the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India,
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said, citing a number
of achievements in bilateral ties.
Khar made the remarks while speaking during question hour
in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament on
Wednesday evening. She did not provide details as to when the
matter would be finalised.
India bestowed MFN status on Pakistan in 1996.
Pakistani Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim, who led
a high-level business delegation to India in September, had
said in Mumbai that there was a strong opinion in his country
that India should be given the Most Favoured Nation status.
Khar said the India-Pakistan dialogue process had
been resumed after a gap of two years.
"We want progress on not just one but a number of issues
with India on permanent basis besides normalization of overall
bilateral relations," she added.
"The top most priority of the country is to ensure
uninterrupted dialogue with India so that the resolution of
(the) core (issue of) Kashmir could be ensured," she said.
"There are a number of achievements regarding relations
with India. We have achieved ground on trade with India. For
the first time in history, the Indian foreign minister
attended the reception of the Pakistan Foreign Minister in New
York," she said.
Responding to a question, she said Pakistan wants good
relations with India while sticking to its principled stance
on the Kashmir issue in accordance with the will of the
Kashmiri people. PTI RHL
RCL