The Imran Khan-led Pakistan government on Wednesday is likely to lift the ban on the import of sugar and cotton from India. The Pakistan Ministry of Commerce released a note before the Pakistani cabinet for import approval from India.
“There are 21 items on the agenda of the ECC meeting to be chaired by the newly appointed Finance Minister Hammad Azhar, Pakistani news daily The Dawn reported.
The panel has proposed to take up two summaries of the commerce and textile ministry to lift the ban on import of cotton, cotton yarn, and white sugar from India.
After the process of advance approval, a nod from the Prime Minister’s Office will be required.
On Tuesday, Khan responded to a recent peace overture from his Indian counterpart, writing in a letter to Narendra Modi that Islamabad also desires peaceful relations with New Delhi.
The exchange of letters between the two men was seen as a sign of easing tensions between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors.
Khan’s letter was dispatched to Modi a day ago, according to two government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government policy. They said Khan in Monday’s letter called for the resolution of the dispute over the Kashmir region and all other outstanding issues between the two sides.
The people of Pakistan also desire peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including India. We are convinced that durable peace and stability in South Asia is contingent upon resolving all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, in particular, the Jammu & Kashmir dispute, Khan wrote in the letter.
He also conveyed his best wishes to India in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Khan’s move came in response to a recent overture from Modi. The Indian premier in a letter congratulated Khan on his countrys annual Pakistan Day, which commemorates March 23, 1940. On that day, the Muslim leadership in the eastern city of Lahore demanded independence from British rule.
