ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: Kashmir Committee chairman Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that a briefing should be held for Kashmiri leaders to apprise them of the pros and cons of Pakistan’s plan to grant the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India.

Talking to reporters outside the Parliament House after a meeting with the Kashmiri leaders on Saturday, he said the committee would request the government to direct the commerce and foreign ministries to brief the Kashmiri leaders on the issue in order to address their apprehensions about enhancing trade relations with India.

The maulana said the Kashmiri leaders were of the view that the new policy on trade ties with India would be so devised that the interests of Kashmiris and Pakistan were not hurt, adding the MFN status to India should be granted only after removing reservations of Kashmiri people.

The Kashmiri leaders criticised the policies of previous governments. They were not convinced by a briefing given by Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim at the meeting.

Maulana Fazl said the committee also discussed political aspects of improving relations with India, adding that he favoured fruitful talks with India on all issues. He said the Kashmir
committee in accordance with its mandate could only forward suggestions to the government.

Azad Kashmir’s former prime minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan said at the meeting that India should be granted the MFN status only after the settlement of the Kashmir issue.

Talking to journalists, he said India wanted to dump its obsolete products in Pakistan, a development he feared would damage Pakistan’s industry.

He pointed out that India had granted the MFN status to Pakistan years ago, yet it did not allow import of textile and pharmaceutical products and cement from Pakistan.

He said a consensus could be evolved on the resolution of Kashmir issue by exchange of visits by stakeholders.

Solidarity Day
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Kashmir Committee reiterated that it would continue to support the people of Kashmir in their struggle for their right to self-determination. The committee, which met at the Parliament House with Maulana Fazl in the chair, said that Pakistanis and Kashmiris were united on one platform to achieve this objective.

“Pakistan will continue its support for their Kashmiri brethren, who are struggling for their right to self-determination,” the chairman and members of the committee said.

They called upon the nation to observe the ‘Solidarity Day’ on Sunday in a befitting manner to send a strong message to the world that “we are with the Kashmiri brethren”.—APP