Dastgir seeks trade with India despite ‘reservations’

E-Paper | May 06, 2026

HYDERABAD: Regional markets including India offer huge opportunities and can help Pakistan boost its exports, said Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan on Thursday.

Addressing a gathering of growers arranged by Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB), the minister said there was no need to be fearful of Indian market’s size as Pakistan has huge export potential.

“We shouldn’t be apprehensive of India’s products and markets. Positive list has been replaced with negative list in PPP government and barring a few things all kind of trade with India is open since 2012.

“Besides India, countries like Iran, Afghanistan and gulf region are attractive markets waiting our products. We can make better returns but we must first organise ourselves,” he said.

Referring to North America Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) and Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean), he said Pakistan’s economy would struggle to grow if it remains confined to its borders.

On the occasion, SAB President Abdul Majeed Nizamani said Pakistan must increase its research budget from 0.5 per cent to 1.5pc of the gross domestic product (GDP) like India so that researchers should come up with pest resistant, short duration and higher yield crops.

Separately, talking to journalists after addressing members of Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI), the commerce minister said that India would be granted the status of Non-Discriminatory Market Access (NDMA).

“It is not MFN [most favoured nation] but we call it NDMA which calls for non-discriminatory and parallel market access,” he told a questioner when asked whether some quarters oppose it.

He described Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to India as positive and said Mr Sharif did not indulge in reactionary diplomacy.

He said although Pakistan has certain reservations with India like Kashmir, Siachen, Afghanistan, Sir Creek and water issues, “mere handing over list of reservations is not diplomacy”.

Addressing HCCI members, he said energy crisis would be overcome to a great extent by 2016. Government is planning to take energy production to 40,000 megawatts and it is trying to switch over to coal-based power from furnace oil.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2014

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Ahmed

May 30, 2014 11:54am

Whatever name you give to bilateral trade , MFN or NDMA , the volume of import & exports should be on EQUAL basis e.g Indians import our goods worth $1 Billion & we import their goods in same amount. Have you worked on that principle ?

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Desi Chhokri

May 30, 2014 12:17pm

Regional trade is the only way to achieve prosperity. It would be foolishness to ignore such a huge land lucrative market like India which is our next door neighbour. We need to learn from our ally China, which having fought one minor war with India in 1962, is trading heavily with India and planning to reach a bilateral annual trade of $ 100 billion with the country. Political disputes would be easier to solve if trade gets a boost, as rhetorical heat comes down and people look at the disputes from all angles. The inter-dependencies in trade will ensure avoidance of frictions and more people-to-people contacts. This may lead into an economic union of SAARC countries just like the European Union, where we could share single currency (like South Asian Dollar) and visa-less travel to our neighbouring SAARC countries.

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gary

May 30, 2014 12:39pm

''We have to create the consciousness that changes human destiny and changes the world. Yes, we have no option now except to mend our ways and learn to modestly coexist with the world, which starts with the neighbor

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Suq Madieq

May 30, 2014 02:12pm

What will you sell in India. You open those gate a single factory in India will just need to dump its one month goods and your market will be flooded. Only traders and middlemen are excited on trading with India.

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Mashman

May 30, 2014 02:13pm

The west had landed rockets on mars and we are still stuck in the past deciding if doing business with our neighbor is a good idea or not.

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Hilarious

May 30, 2014 02:37pm

I can only feel sorry for you guys - debating this in this day and age!!

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BULLS EYE

May 30, 2014 07:53pm

Ghulam Dastagir does not understand that Trade comes in only when there is Peace & Harmony amongst Nations, it is stupid to eye Trade with India in presence of Kashmir & Water disputes. Pakistan is not a Banya's shop Mr Dastagir.Those who are in favor of Trade with India should go to North Korea & try to trade with US & South Korea, when they succeed then only they can advise like Aristotle or Plato.

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BULLS EYE

May 30, 2014 07:57pm

@Mashman This age does not teach Pakistanis to accept India's overtures by stopping our Waters and killing Kashmiris, we are Muslims & have lot of self respect.

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Nizamuddin Ahmad Aali

May 30, 2014 08:01pm

NFTA (USA ) is a bad example for justification of India- Pakistan trade. The minister is unaware of the details and workings of NAFTA. To ratify and do the discussion it took nearly twelve ( 12 ) years. I will point out these are the countries of USA Canada and Mexico, most advanced countries of North America, compared to Pakistan and yet the people are not satisfied. The India- Pakistan trade is good for smugglers, undeclared or under declared trade and dumping cheap product in Pakistan. The most worry some factor is the genetically modified agricultural products from India. I suggest Pakistani public and law makers do some research and soul searching and then jump to " chuck wagon " It is shameful that our politicians use big names to make their cases, but in reality Pakistan is no USA or Canada. It is worth pointing out that Australia took seven years to import Japanese agricultural { only 7 % ) products.

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naka Paka

May 30, 2014 11:30pm

@Hilarious Yes indeed... Open markets can do wonders... it may even help lift poverty in both countries... but no such luck

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shantanu

May 31, 2014 04:07pm

@Suq Madieq, You can sell a lot of things. Incidently the clothes and fabric from Pakistan is a big draw in India. Your agriculture produce, Your Muree beer , dry fruits will be sold here. We can give you steel, automobile(2 whhelers, 4 wheelers, trucks) . Later on u can have joint venture to produce the same in Pakistan. If and when the things go well you will have many companies from India making investments in power, railways and other infrastructure projects. Can you imagine the amount of jobs that can be created. This is a small beginning but it will go in a long way to have your economy fixed.

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test

Jun 01, 2014 06:18am

@Ahmed Mr Ahmed your thoughts are very wise however this world market doesn't run like that. I doubt that you have such deal with China even, so why not India? India is not going to gain huge huge market in Pakistan however it will indeed help the poor of Pakistan since Pakistan has really been left behind. Now you can wait to develop your market and by that time the unrest in your country will at the tip or you can let your people enjoy some cheaper product from India. This is what China did to US however people in US get cheap stuff. Your country and your ego. Feed your people or keep fighting us because we have miles to go yet. Namaste.

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