A step forward

The road to peace with India will invariably be filled with potholes so we should welcome all smooth turns. There were two unexpected bits of good news in talks between the two countries trade ministers. Amin Fahim and his counterpart Anand Sharma announced that trade between Pakistan and India would be doubled to the tune of $6 billion a year. Even more encouragingly, India is now going to drop its objection to the European Union importing Pakistani goods duty-free. This move is particularly welcome because it shows that India has put a high enough value on improving ties with Pakistan and that it is willing to make decisions that may well hurt its own textile industry.

This trade agreement is part of the peace process that was kick-started after a two-and-a-half year hiatus with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s visit to New Delhi this summer. Given the fractures that existed after India pinned the blame for the Mumbai attacks on Pakistan, even such measures, small though they may be, are a sign of progress. With no solution to the Kashmir issue on the horizon, it is best to put that on the back-burner for now and try to find common ground. Increased trade between the two countries will be mutually beneficial and so it is heartening that they are willing to put political differences aside to achieve this.  Read More

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