After disappointing India and the Pakistani business community by deferring the switchover to the negative list approach for bilateral trade, Pakistan for the second consecutive day said it was aware of its obligation under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to accord non-discriminatory treatment to all member countries.
Addressing SAARC Commerce Ministers who called on him after the meeting on the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said: “We are also cognizant of the fact that the WTO trading arrangement is based on the principle of Most Favoured Nation, which implies non-discriminatory treatment among the member countries in terms of tariff as well as the number of tariff lines traded between the countries. Pakistan being the signatory to WTO is obliged to observe this principle.''
The Indian delegation view this as a reiteration of Pakistan's commitment to according MFN status to India and switching over to a negative list by February-end. and then a sensitive list as mandated by WTO by the year-end.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister also met the Indian business delegation who had accompanied Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma for the bilateral ministerial engagement. According to Mr. Gilani, there was an enabling environment in both countries for more people-to-people contact and trade.
