Granting `Most favoured Nation' status is a significant development for India. Their most feared rival has given them the status of the most favoured nation with the hope of getting more imports at cheaper rates from their rivals. It has been said and stressed by the experts that the three most important things Pakistan should look out from India are-Diesel which is available at a whopping rate of Rs 94 in Pakistan, Electricity which is available at Rupees 1 per unit to Indian growers as compared to Pakistan’s Rs 8.38, fertilizers such as urea, a bag of 50 kg costs Rs 1,700 in Pakistan as compared to Rs 513 in India. Now the question arises why India is happy at this MFN status. Will it get something for their country? The cat and mouse fight over water has been a tale which has been heard by everyone. According to Pakistani experts, India wants to make Pakistan a barren expanse by stopping their water and ruining their agriculture. In turn India desires to supply its agricultural products to Pakistan and sell them at higher subsidies in Pakistani markets and kill the local public due to high prices. This MFN status has given them just the perfect cherry on the cake of destruction made for Pakistan. It is a well-known fact that Pakistan depends on its local industries, India and China for its raw materials. MFN would just smash the local Industries to pieces and India would get its work done. MFN status will throw the local industries out of question and in turn India will smile at the end of the day. This status would make Pakistani markets dependent on Indian charity since the local industries would be thrown down the bridge. It will serve as an apple in the eye of Indians but for Pakistanis it would be like throwing stone in the mud. Even for the hard line separatist Syed Ali Geelani mentioned this as a detrimental move. He stated that this would not only annihilate Pakistan but Kashmir issue too would get drowned in the same noise. The Pakistani government has failed to recognise the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people and this MFN status to India will discourage everyone associated with the act of struggle. MFN status is given to a nation who has been a lifelong friend. India everyone knows has never been Pakistan’s friend and it never will be. This MFN is just a big mistake by Pakistani authorities. Have they realized what effect it is going to have on their markets? Pakistani authorities should have kept other problems in mind and tried to solve them before granting this status to India.
Problems like Kashmir dispute, Kishan Ganga Dam, Wuller Barrage, Sir creek, Siachen glacier require first hand attention and this MFN should have been too far off a proposition.The Kashmiri aspirations should be given a first-hand look by Pakistan. It is a well known fact that Indian authorities lay down a big list of demands before the Pakistanis as pre-conditions for a dialogue to occur. It has astonished everybody why this Pakistani government has given this status to India who are not even willing to talk about the core issues. How does Pakistan think that this status will improve the relations? Do they even realize what this is going to do to the Kashmir issue?
Pakistan has failed to realize the consequences of this status and it is just a matter of time before every one in Pakistan rises in opposition to this move.
(Faz Lul Haseeb can be reached at haseebheights@gmail.com)

Lastupdate on : Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 25 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:00:00 IST