Signs of Thaw in Pakistan PM's Reply to Modi's Letter, Possible Removal of Cotton Import Ban

 Imran Khan wrote back to Narendra Modi saying that Pakistan too desired a “peaceful, cooperative” relation with India.

New Delhi: Just as reports come in of Pakistan announcing the restart of its import of cotton from India, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has replied to his Indian counterpart’s letter stating that the creation of an “enabling environment” is an imperative for “result-oriented dialogue”.

In his letter dated March 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended greetings to the people of Pakistan on the occasion of Pakistan Day. “As a neighbouring country, India desires cordial relations with the people of Pakistan. For this, an environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility, is imperative,” wrote Modi.

Khan replied on March 29 that the people of Pakistan also “desire peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including India”.

“We are convinced that durable peace and stability in South Asia is contingent upon resolving all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, in particular the Jammu & Kashmir dispute,” he wrote.

 

Echoing language used by Modi, the Pakistani prime minister also asserted that dialogue could start only after an “enabling environment” is formed. “Creation of an enabling environment is imperative for a constructive and result-oriented dialogue,” Khan wrote in the short letter.

This is not the only development in South Asia’s most fraught relationship this week.

On Wednesday, Pakistan is likely to lift a ban on the import of cotton and cotton yarn from India, according to Dawn.

It would mark the partial revival of trade ties that Pakistan had suspended after India changed the constitutional status of Kashmir in August 2019. Earlier in May 2020, Pakistan had removed the ban on the import of medicines and essential drugs from India.

The Pakistan prime minister’s commerce adviser Razak Dawood had stated that the government was mindful of the rising price of cotton yarn, which had hit the export sector. 

“All steps be taken through cross-border imports of cotton yarn including by land. A summary will be presented at the next ECC to ensure availability of cotton and yarn in the coming months,” Dawood had tweeted.

 

 

A meeting was held with the Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI escalating prices of cotton yarn were discussed. He was sympathetic towards the value-added sectors & advised that in order to ease the pressure on yarn and keep momentum of value added exports.

— Abdul Razak Dawood (@razak_dawood) March 29, 2021

 

Pakistan’s Ministry of Textile Industry has sought permission from the Cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee to lift the ban on cotton import from India in their meeting on March 31.

The two countries have seen relations dip considerably in the last few years, especially over Kashmir and the cross-border airstrikes.

However, the two neighbours announced unexpectedly in March that they have agreed to sincerely abide by the ceasefire agreement on the Line of Control. Since then, the LoC has remained silent.

Indian external affairs minister S.Jaishankar is currently in Tajikistan to attend the Heart of Asia conference. He has already held several bilateral meetings, including with his counterparts from Iran, Turkey, and the presidents of Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi is also attending the regional conference. In the forum’s family photo, Jaishankar and Qureshi had only one foreign minister between them, but it was unknown if they exchanged any pleasantries.

So far, both sides have denied having any scheduled plans for even a short bilateral meeting between India and Pakistan. There has been speculation of a possible meeting in light of the apparent thaw in the verbal rhetoric between the two countries.

The Indian minister is scheduled to be in Tajikistan for one more day and is scheduled to return only on Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

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(With input from news agency language)

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