Pakistan government still hesitant about the proposal to import from India -

Lahore: The number of victims of floods in Pakistan has reached close to 1,200. Along with this, there are reports of a tremendous amount of damage to the property and agriculture of the country. The dire consequences of scarcity created by this have already started to emerge, and the prices of all the essential commodities, from foodgrains to vegetables, have spiralled upward. In such a situation, the demand to start importing these goods from India, especially vegetables, is gaining momentum in Pakistan. However, the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan has claimed that no decision has been taken on this proposal. Due to this, it is coming to light that the government of Pakistan is hesitant while taking this decision regarding India.

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Miftah Ismail had announced that his government is considering importing vegetables and essential items from India. This proposal is gaining increasing support from Pakistan. From vegetables to medicines, Pakistan is in dire need of many things. In such a situation, importing it from Iran or other countries can be expensive. Instead, trade associations of Pakistan say that India can easily supply all these things to Pakistan through the Wagah border. The heads of these trade associations say that the government of Pakistan should decide in this regard without wasting more time.

Journalists and analysts in Pakistan are endorsing the view. But the information provided by Pakistan’s foreign affairs ministry shows that Pakistan’s government has still not garnered the courage to decide on this front. The statements issued by the Pakistan government on the Kashmir issue just a few days ago could also be the reason behind this. After India abrogated Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, the then Pakistani government decided to cut off trade with India. The people of Pakistan had to bear a huge loss due to this. The people of Pakistan needed vegetables, fruits and affordable Indian medicines. The people of Pakistan faced major hardships with the sudden stoppage of these supplies.

But this time, the flood destroyed enough of Pakistan. If a practical decision to import from India is not taken this time, the situation in Pakistan may become more serious. Realising this, even the journalists and analysts who constantly spewed venom against India have now reluctantly started saying there is no problem importing from India. Some journalists who criticise Pakistan’s anti-India policies and those who are active on social media also point out that establishing trade and political cooperation with India will bring stability to Pakistan. However, the government of Pakistan is worried that this decision will invite heavy criticism. That is why the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan had to disclose that no decision has been taken yet. At the same time, India has given a clear message that it sympathises with the people of Pakistan and will continue to oppose the fundamentalists and terrorists there. Rajesh Parihar, India’s diplomatic officer, criticised Pakistan’s terrorist policies while discussing the ‘National Terrorist Threat’ organised by the United Nations Security Council.

Parihar pointed out that terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen are targeting the Indian public, security forces and religious places as the infrastructure in India. The international community must pressurise Pakistan to take strict action against such terrorist organisations. Rajesh Parihar asserted that Pakistan must be held responsible for this. While expressing sympathy for the flood-affected people of Pakistan, India has signalled that its stand against the encouragement of terrorism by Pakistan has not softened even a bit.