External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated on Wednesday that there have been no discussions with Pakistan regarding the resumption of trade with India. Addressing a question during a news conference, he said, “After last year, there have been no talks on trade with Pakistan, nor has there been any initiative from their side.”
Jaishankar clarified that India has never halted trade with Pakistan, pointing out that it was Pakistan’s decision in 2019 to suspend trade ties. “From the beginning, our position was that India should be granted Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status. While we extended MFN status to Pakistan, they chose not to reciprocate,” he said, highlighting a key point of contention in the trade dynamics between the two countries.
In August 2019, the then-Pakistani government led by Imran Khan suspended all bilateral trade in response to India’s decision to abrogate Article 370 of its Constitution, which had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, Islamabad downgraded diplomatic relations with New Delhi.
In other news, Jaishankar has clarified India’s stance on the return of Indian nationals living abroad illegally, stating that New Delhi is open to their “legitimate return,” including those residing in the United States. Addressing a press conference in Washington DC on Wednesday, EAM Jaishankar said, “We have always maintained that if there are Indian citizens living illegally abroad and it is established that they are our nationals, we are open to facilitating their legitimate return to India. This is not a stance specific to the US.”
He further emphasised that India’s approach to the matter has been “consistent” and “principled,” adding that he conveyed this position clearly to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “I understand there is an ongoing debate and related sensitivities at present. However, our position remains unchanged, and I communicated this unequivocally to Secretary Rubio,” he stated.
At the same time, EAM Jaishankar highlighted India’s strong support for legal mobility between nations, stressing the importance of providing global opportunities for Indian skills and talent.
With inputs from PTI