India withdraws Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan after Pulwama terror attack
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday announced that India have decided to withdraw the 'Most Favoured Nation' status granted to Pakistan in the aftermath of the deadly Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Finance Minister also said that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will take all the necessary steps to isolate Pakistan completely in the international community.
Jaitley made these statements while speaking to the media following the Cabinet Committee meeting on Security.
"Most Favoured Nation status granted to Pakistan stands withdrawn," said Arun Jaitley.
"MEA to take steps to ensure complete isolation of Pakistan.
"CCS observed 2-minute silence in respect of the martyrs: Arun Jaitley after CCS meet," Jaitley added.
India granted the MFN status to Pakistan in 1996 but Pakistan never reciprocated and maintained a negative list of 1,209 items which are not permitted to be imported from India.
More than 40 CRPF personnel were killed and many injured in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district on Thursday.
More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at Latoomode in Awantipora in south Kashmir.
Earlier on Friday, the United States of America (USA) strongly condemned the deadly attack and asked Pakistan to immediately end 'support' and 'safe haven' to all terror groups.
"The United States calls on Pakistan to end immediately the support and safe haven provided to all terrorist groups operating on its soil, whose only goal is to sow chaos, violence, and terror in the region," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.
