FTA: Lankan minister due on March 11

Published February 27, 2003

ISLAMABAD, Feb 26: The Sri Lankan Minister for International Trade and Commerce is due on March 11 to finalize the free trade agreement between the two countries.

A senior official in the commerce ministry told Dawn on Wednesday that the Sri Lankan minister, Ravi Kurukanaike has sent a formal request for visiting Islamabad next month to discuss the remaining items to be considered under FTA.

Earlier, he was scheduled to visit Islamabad on February 6 for a couple of days but due to his pre-occupation in domestic affairs he requested for extension in his trip, said the official.

During the trip, the officials three annexures to the agreement would be finalized. Annexure A includes immediate zero duty lists of items, phase out list and no-concession list for Pakistan side. The Annexure B includes immediate zero duty lists of items, phase-out list and no-concession list for Sri Lanka, while the Annexure C includes rules of origin.

Opinion

Editorial

A difficult story
12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

WHILE launching the Economic Survey 2026, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told a hopeful story of economic...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
GB polls’ aftermath
Updated 11 Jun, 2026

GB polls’ aftermath

The new administration must address the region’s issues proactively.
Peace in retreat
11 Jun, 2026

Peace in retreat

THE ceasefire announced in April was supposed to create space for negotiations. Instead, it has been repeatedly...
A few good men
11 Jun, 2026

A few good men

IT was a brave move, no doubt. This Tuesday, in the land of the Afghan Taliban, a few good men decided to take a...