ISLAMABAD, April 12: The government told the Senate on Monday that the European Union had agreed to review its decision to impose a 13.1 per cent anti-dumping duty on Pakistani bedlinen.
But Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan, speaking on an adjournment motion moved by two opposition members, said the government was consulting Pakistani exporters whether to wait for the EU review or go to Geneva to contest the duty before the World Trade Organization.
The minister agreed to have a debate on the motion tabled by Prof Khurshid Ahmed and Prof Ghafoor Ahmed of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal alliance but, in his initial remarks, he said he would "not show all the cards" Pakistan could play to counter the EU move.
Despite an argument from the treasury benches that an adjournment motion could be moved against an action of the home government and not against those of foreign governments, chairman Mohammedmian Soomro said he would fix a date and time for a debate on the issue.
Prof Ghafoor said the motion was valid because he was complaining against what he called the commerce ministry's failure to protect Pakistan's trade interests.
The commerce minister said the EU had recently agreed to start a review of the decision to impose the anti-dumping duty, which was to be effective from April 1. "That is where the matter stands now."
