AJK conditionally supports MFN to India

AJK conditionally supports MFN to India


KARACHI: Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, President, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has welcomed Pakistan’s plan to give most favoured nation (MFN) status to India, but said that Kashmir issue should be resolved on priority basis.

“While granting the MFN status to India, Pakistan should not ignore the core issue of Kashmir,” the AJK president said at a meeting with members of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Thursday.

The decision regarding granting most favoured natio status would be taken after consultation with the stakeholders, he said.

He urged the business community to support the MFN status after considering the competition.

“The status is not only for those Indian entrepreneurs who trade for short-term benefits,” he added.

He lauded the role of the business community for supporting the Kashmir issue.

Sardar Yaqoob said that Azad Kashmir has immense potential for new investment in various fields.

He offered free land to new investment in Azad Kashmir, besides assuring continuous power supply.

The AJK government had initiated several power projects, which would be completed between six months to one year, he said.

“Around 1,000MW power generation project at Neelum-Jhelum would be completed in one year,” he said, adding that other small projects would be completed during the next six months.

The AJK would be able to generate around 15,000MW to 18,000MW surplus electricity, he said.

Earlier, Khalid Tawab, Vice President, FPCCI, in his address of welcome said that Kashmir is the core issue between Pakistan and India and it should be resolved.

He informed the AJK president that the FPCCI is organising foreign investors’ conference in December in Islamabad to attract investment from abroad.

(The News)