MFN lost in translation

Pakistan’s failure to grant India Most Favoured Nation status appears to have a less sinister reason than beheadings and aggression along the Line of Control. It is rooted in the nuances of language. Most Favoured Nation, a common trade term in English, translates into sabse pasindida mulk in Urdu, which can also loosely be interpreted to mean India is Pakistan’s favourite nation. Obviously, India can never be projected as Pakistan’s favourite in an official government document, hence the delay in the interests of finding a more neutral term.