Pak request of resumption of Commerce Secretary talks under consideration: India

TORONTO - India has said that Pakistan’s request for a resumption of dialogue between the commerce secretaries of the two countries is under consideration.

Sources accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Toronto for the fourth Group of Twenty (G-20) Summit said that the request was made during the recent foreign secretary-level talks in Islamabad, and added that this will be forwarded to the relevant ministry in New Delhi.

Replying to a question on why Pakistan continues to be reluctant on giving India Most favoured Nation (MFN) status, the sources said Islamabad is keen to re-engage at the commerce secretary level.

It was also suggested that Pakistan would do well to look at the positive list as opposed to the negative list.

“We will move at the pace Pakistan is moving, and do hope for a better trade situation,” the sources said.

The sources also suggested that cross Line of Control (LoC) people-to-people contact and trade should be more amenable. By Ashok Dixit (ANI)