External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday that India has always given the status of Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) but Pakistan did not do the same in return.
“After last year, there have been no talks with Pakistan on trade, nor has any initiative come from their side,” Jaishankar said in response to a question at a news conference, as reported by PTI.
The relationship between the neighbouring countries worsened over the years amid terror attack cases and cross-border violence and terrorism.
India, he said, never stopped trade with Pakistan, and the decision in this regard was taken by the Pakistan government in 2019.
Also Read: Pakistan’s support for terrorism is a ’cancer’ affecting its own stability, says Jaishankar
“From the very beginning, our interest was that India should get the status of most favoured nation. We used to give MFN status to Pakistan. But they did not grant the same status to us,” Jaishankar said.
The then-Pakistan government headed by Imran Khan suspended all bilateral trade in August 2019 in retaliation to India abrogating Article 370 of its Constitution, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Islamabad had also downgraded its diplomatic ties with New Delhi.
India and Pakistan continue to share troubled ties with Pakistan since Independence. The rivalry is also a major roadblock in regional cooperation in South Asia.
The relationship between India and Pakistan severely worsened after India launched airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot, Pakistan, in February 2019, as a response to the Pulwama terror attack. Tensions escalated further when, on August 5, 2019, India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divided the state into two union territories.
In May 2024, S Jaishankar underlined that the people of India made a clear decision in 2024 that they will not accept terrorism. He also blamed the previous Imran Khan government, which took many steps to downgrade relations and warned of similar repercussions of such issues in future.
“Part of the problem is that after 2019, the Imran Khan government took a number of steps that downgraded relations. We did not do, they did. Our messaging is very clear,” S Jaishankar said.
Earlier in October 2024, Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday that India and Pakistan should "bury" their past and focus on building a positive future as good neighbours.
His comments followed Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar's recent visit to Islamabad, which Sharif described as a “good opening.”
Since its inception, Pakistan has faced various forms of terrorism, ranging from traditional and non-traditional extremism to armed conflicts and sectarian violence. During the Zia regime (1978–1988), Pakistan became increasingly mired in sectarian and communal violence, a problem that worsened over time.
The policies of the Zia regime are widely seen as having played a significant role in radicalizing the country. During this period, groups like Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafaria (TNFJ) and Sipah-e-Sahaba were formed, intensifying sectarian conflicts and, to some extent, gaining government support. The rise of Islamic militancy, intolerance, and extremism during this time would later have a profound impact on Pakistan’s security landscape.
Sympathy for jihadis among the public, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies, combined with the inaction of political leaders, has enabled domestic militant groups to operate with relative impunity. If Islamabad hopes to avert a full-scale insurgency and restore its global standing, it must change its approach.
Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.