BackPakistan can consider food imports from India, says minister as flood ravages country
As floods continue to ravage the country, Pakistan's finance minister said the nation can consider importing vegetables, and other edible items from India
PremiumAs the floods continue to wreak havoc, Pakistan's Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said on Monday said the government can consider importing food from India as the monsoon rains have destroyed the standing crops. The minister said Pakistan can consider importing vegetables and other edible items. In August 2019, Pakistan snapped trade ties with New Delhi over the Kashmir issue.
Pakistan has been witnessing a massive surge in the prices of various vegetables and fruits due to devastating floods as the supply of vegetables from Balochistan, Sindh and south Punjab has badly been affected because of the disaster.
Responding to a question during a press conference in Islamabad, the minister said the government could "consider importing vegetables and other edible items from India". When he was told that ministers advocating trade with India had to go home in the past, the finance minister said he wasn't afraid of it.
"If people have to go home to protect themselves from inflation, then it is fine. As much as I am working for the improvement of the economy, I hope I will not be fired," he said, adding that the supply of vegetables and fruits are likely to be affected in view of the floods in the country.
He said, “If the supply is affected, the import of vegetables (from India) will have to be opened. If we have to import vegetables from India, we will do so."
Dawn newspaper has quoted a source as saying that former security adviser Moeed Yousuf was working on some proposals regarding trade with India.
Back in May, the Ministry of Commerce had ruled out the possibility of a resumption of stalled bilateral trade following reports that the government was reconsidering the proposal to resume trade with India.
An official statement said, “There is no change in Pakistan’s policy on trade with India."
Jawaad Rizvi, a wholesale dealer of Lahore market, told PTI that per kilogram of tomato and onion were available in Lahore's markets at around ₹500 and ₹400 respectively.
He said that in the coming days the prices of commodities will increase further as the supply of vegetables from Balochistan, Sindh and south Punjab has badly been affected because of floods.
According to officials, floods have claimed over nearly 1,100 lives so far.
(With agency inputs)
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