Pak working on non-discriminatory access status for India: Minister

Pakistan on Wednesday said it is working on a proposal to grant India non-discriminatory access status, but has no plans to grant New Delhi most favoured nation (MFN) status.

Speaking to a news agency before leving for New Delhi, Pakistan Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan said his prime objective during his New Delhi visit would be to put bilateral trade ties back on the rails.

He accepted that some "unfortunate incidents" had happened to affect commercial ties between the two countries.

Khan's comments came as commerce secretaries of India and Pakistan were talking in New Delhi on ways to reopen trade talks, which had come to a standstill after the repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan and military incursions into Kashmir.

The two sides are likely to discuss hindrances in trade liberalization between the two countries, and granting the status of most favoured nation (MFN) to India by Pakistan.

Commerce Secretary S. R. Rao welcomed the delegation headed by Pakistan's former foreign secretary and High Commissioner to India, Salman Bashir.

The secretary-level talks are likely to be followed by a ministerial meeting later this week.

Khurram Dastgir Khan would be visiting India from Thursday to attend a SAARC Business Leaders conclave. Reports suggest that he is likely to meet his Indian counterpart Anand Sharma for bilateral talks.