MFN status to Pak withdrawn

New Delhi, February 15

India ratcheted the pressure on Pakistan by withdrawing the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status, summoning its High Commissioner and calling its Indian envoy in Islamabad here for consultations.

Separately, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale reached out to over two-dozen New Delhi-based ambassadors to impress upon them the role played by Pakistan-based and incubated Jaish-e- Mohammed (JeM) in the Pulwama attack. 

He also stressed India’s demand that Pakistan must immediately stop all support and financing to terror groups operating from areas under its  control. The Foreign Secretary wanted all UN member-countries to support a proposal for proscribing JeM chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist.

Among the heads of mission briefed today were all from P-5 countries, including China, that has blocked Masood Azhar being named as an international terrorist by the UNSC, most South Asian countries and other important partners like Japan, Germany and the Republic of Korea. 

India has resolved to diplomatically isolate Pakistan unless it stops using terror as an instrument of state policy.

The withdrawal of MFN status is largely symbolic as it is unlikely to impact bilateral trade, which is $2 billion by the legitimate route and another $6 billion via Dubai and Singapore. Pakistan is yet to give MFN status and maintains a list of 1,200 items that are banned for import from India.

Gokhale’s “very strong demarche” to the Pakistani High Commissioner sought immediate closure of all terrorist training camps and verifiable action against JeM and its chief.  He also rejected the statement issued by the Pakistan foreign ministry following the attack on Thursday that condemns the violence in generic terms.

Meanwhile, the Dean of Diplomatic Corps in Delhi, Hans Dannenberg Castellanos, also condoled the death of CRPF personnel and extended support to the Indian Government in its fight against terrorism. — TNS

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