Pakistan and India won’t be resuming trade as the Federal Cabinet turned down on Thursday the recommendation to import cotton and sugar from India

The Economic Coordination Committee had given a green signal to resuming trade with the neighbouring country.

Earlier on Wednesday, Finance Minister Hammad Azhar said that the prices of sugar are rising across the world and to tackle that, Pakistan would import it from India. “Pakistan has decided to import 500,000 tonnes of sugar from India to meet the shortage in the country and provide price stability,” Azhar said.

He remarked that Pakistan is importing cotton from all over the world, except India. This is hurting SMEs (small industries) so we have decided that the country will import cotton from India. But now the cabinet has rejected the ECC’s recommendation.

Pakistan suspended bilateral relations with Indian in August 2019 after the government of the Indian PM Narendra Modi revoked the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir.

The two nuclear-armed neighbours, however, resumed the ceasefire agreement last month after a “hotline contact” between their directors-general of military operations.

‘Pakistan Desires Peaceful Relations With India’

Pakistan desires peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbouring countries, Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a letter to Indian premier Narendra Modi.

“The people of Pakistan also desire peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including India,” PM Khan wrote in response to PM Modi’s Pakistan Day message.

In his letter on March 23, PM Modi had stated that “India desires cordial relations with the people of Pakistan”. He said that “an environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility” was imperative for friendly relations between the two nations.

In response, the Pakistan premier said he believes an “enabling environment is imperative for a constructive and result-oriented dialogue”.

“We are convinced that durable peace and stability in South Asia is contingent upon resolving all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, in particular, the Jammu & Kashmir dispute,” PM Khan’s letter read.