ISLAMABAD, June 21: Pakistan is optimistic of positive outcome of the current round of negotiations for an early finalisation of the Doha development agenda. Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan told Dawn though the G-4 countries failed to strike a deal, the talks would continue in Geneva for making a breakthrough in the stalled negotiations.

“I am hopeful that some deal in farm and industrial sectors will be ready by the end of July or August.”

Meanwhile, civil society organisations welcomed the breakdown of talks among G-4 negotiators.

Head of Trade Justice Campaign of Actionaid Aftab Alam Khan told Dawn on Thursday that the collapse of G4 trade talks has shown once again that the EU and US were sticking to their old tricks on farm subsidies and market access.

The collapse of Potsdam talks shows that short-cuts like G4 cannot steer a deal when development issues are off the negotiating table, he said.

He said that last week the ActionAid survey proved that the two-thirds of WTO delegates of developing countries were not expecting any development outcome in the current negotiations. It is clear that running after deadlines is no more an option for the WTO. This is the time to review the global trading rules in favour of poor countries, he added.