PML-Q slams Pak's "India-centric" trade policy
Sunday, 27 July 2008
ISLAMABAD, Jul 26 (PTI): Slamming Pakistan government's new trade policy for being "India-centric", the opposition Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) has threatened to launch a countrywide strike against it and linked the improvement in bilateral economic ties to the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
The PML-Q alleged the trade policy was covertly aimed at granting India the "most favoured nation" status and claimed the government had already decided to award the contract for the Thar coal power project to the Reliance Group.
"This trade policy is India-centric and a bid to appease the Indian government, while the P.M.L.-Q thinks that all trade routes to India pass through Kashmir," P.M.L.-Q parliamentarian Sheikh Waqas Akram told reporters here Thursday.
The trade policy, unveiled last week, approved the import of 136 new items from India, including fuel oil and diesel and C.N.G. buses.
The Pakistan government had also invited three Indian companies - Tata, Reliance and Essar - to a meeting of potential investors in the power sector to discuss the development of the Thar coal power project.
But the P.M.L.-Q claimed the policy would facilitate the "loot" of Pakistan's natural resources by Indian businessmen. It said all such bids would be resisted with the support of the Pakistani business community.
The party threatened to launch a nationwide strike against the new trade policy after consulting the business community.
Akram further said: "a conference will be held in America regarding the Thar coal project during the Prime Minister's visit (next week) while it has already been decided.... to award this project to the Indian company." He did not give any proof to substantiate his claim.
The new policy only encourages imports from India while exports to that country have been totally ignored, he claimed.
The PML-Q alleged the trade policy was covertly aimed at granting India the "most favoured nation" status and claimed the government had already decided to award the contract for the Thar coal power project to the Reliance Group.
"This trade policy is India-centric and a bid to appease the Indian government, while the P.M.L.-Q thinks that all trade routes to India pass through Kashmir," P.M.L.-Q parliamentarian Sheikh Waqas Akram told reporters here Thursday.
The trade policy, unveiled last week, approved the import of 136 new items from India, including fuel oil and diesel and C.N.G. buses.
The Pakistan government had also invited three Indian companies - Tata, Reliance and Essar - to a meeting of potential investors in the power sector to discuss the development of the Thar coal power project.
But the P.M.L.-Q claimed the policy would facilitate the "loot" of Pakistan's natural resources by Indian businessmen. It said all such bids would be resisted with the support of the Pakistani business community.
The party threatened to launch a nationwide strike against the new trade policy after consulting the business community.
Akram further said: "a conference will be held in America regarding the Thar coal project during the Prime Minister's visit (next week) while it has already been decided.... to award this project to the Indian company." He did not give any proof to substantiate his claim.
The new policy only encourages imports from India while exports to that country have been totally ignored, he claimed.