Islamabad, Nov 17: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said a decision is “yet to be taken” on the issue of granting Most Favoured Nation-status to India and that the cabinet had authorised the Commerce Ministry to conduct negotiations in this regard.
Responding to points raised by lawmakers in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament, Gilani said the people and parliament would be taken into confidence on the issue of giving MFN-status to India.
“The cabinet unanimously gave permission to the Commerce Ministry that they should go and negotiate with India (on normalising trade relations),” he said.
Noting that the Commerce Secretaries of the two countries had met in New Delhi, he added that a decision is yet to be made on the MFN issue.
“Let the results come and we'll apprise the whole country and take the parliament into confidence. How can we take them into confidence prior to any decision? This decision is yet to be taken,” he said.
Information Minister Firdous Awan had recently announced at a news conference that the cabinet had unanimously approved the granting of MFN-status to India.
Gilani and other leaders subsequently clarified that the cabinet had approved the normalisation of trade relations with India, and this process would eventually lead to the granting of MFN-status.
