KARACHI, June 11: The biggest challenge for Pakistan in regard to World Trade Organization (WTO) is quick implementation of its rules and creating awareness among the people about the benefits of the free-market economy. Suhail Muhammad Khan, chief of the WTO, Ministry of Food, Agriculture & Livestock, in a presentation on “WTO Training Programme for Sugar Sector”, at Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) here on Saturday, said under the WTO regime all sort of special treatment to any member state would be ended to ensure level-playing field for all members.

“Various sectors are working on the task and trying to enforce the WTO rules and in some sectors, systems and processors are being evolved for their early implementation and prompt preparation to cope with the changing environment”, he added.

Responding to a query, he said the most favoured nation (MFN) status to India was a complicated issue as both the countries produce and export almost the similar things. Had both the countries producing different things and not competitor in the world market for their exports, the MFN status would have helped them, he added.

Under the WTO regime, he said two member states of WTO could not give such a status to each other as the special concession and package offered to one state had to be offered to all member states, he explained.

Similarly, he said under the WTO rule four, member countries were prohibited to discriminate between the imported and domestically produced goods both in the matter of internal taxes and other subsidies etc.—APP