Islamabad: Despite some serious reservations by the majority of Pakistanis, the United States pressurized Pakistan to declare India as ‘Most Favoured Nation’ (MFN) status.
The Obama Administration has been raising the issue with the new Nawaz Sharif Government to grant MFN status to India as soon as possible.
A top Obama Administration official has said that Islamabad may decide on it after the elections in India.
“We have raised this with the government of Pakistan on several occasions and, indeed, with the government of India, specifically the grant of most favoured nations. It came up while (Pakistan) Prime Minister Sharif was here in Washington during a visit a month ago,” Special US Representatives for Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins told lawmakers.
“The Pakistanis have indicated their intention is to provide, is to grant MFN to India. The question is one of timing. We, of course, have urged it to be done as quickly as possible,” he said in response to a question at a hearing on Afghanistan by the House Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday.
“They didn’t say so, but I think they may be waiting until a new Indian government takes office. They probably want to do this in the part of a context of other improvements in the relationship,” he said.
India had given MFN status to Pakistan in 1996.
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