Taking an abrupt U-turn Pakistan's Cabinet on Thursday has refused a proposal of its Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to import essential goods like cotton and sugar from its border nation India.
The information regarding the same was shared by the Human Rights Minister of Pak, Shireen Mazari on his micro-blogging site handle shortly after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He tweeted, "And today Cabinet stated clearly NO trade with India. PM made clear there can be no normalisation of relations with India until they reverse their illegal actions viz IIOJK of 5 Aug 2019."
Notably, the decision came a day after Pakistan's latest Finance Minister Hammad Azhar after a meeting made an announcement that the nation is ready to lift the long ban on the import of essential goods like cotton and sugar from India. On Wednesday, ECC's meeting was chaired on Azhar.
However, before today's meeting, Mazari informed that the decision is yet to be ascertained by Cabinet after which it could be termed "approved" by the government. On this, he wrote on his Twitter, "Just for the record - All ECC decisions have to be approved by Cabinet & only then they can be seen as "approved by govt"! So today in Cabinet there will be a discussion on ECC decisions incl trade with India & then govt decision will be taken! Media shd be aware of this atleast!"
It is pertinent to mention here that when Azhar announced the lifting ban on import it has filled India with the hope of a partial revival of bilateral trade between the two countries which does not share warm relations subsequently after India's decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.
India is the world’s biggest producer of cotton and the second biggest sugar manufacturer.