The Foreign Office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, stated on Friday that trade with India is not currently on the table. She cited the unchanged situation in the disputed region of Kashmir since the events of 2019, which had led to the initial suspension of trade between the two countries.

Baloch emphasized that the situation remains the same, and there are no ongoing bilateral talks between Pakistan and India regarding the restoration of trade relations.

This statement was made in response to a question about India’s lack of reciprocation to Pakistan’s overtures to restore trade ties. Pakistan had suspended trade with India after the controversial move in August 2019, when India revoked the special status of the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir region.

The leaders of Pakistan’s current Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government have, on multiple occasions since taking office earlier this year, expressed the Shehbaz Sharif administration’s willingness to reevaluate trade relations with India. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has also emphasized the Pakistani business community’s eagerness to revive trade ties, during a press conference in London on March 23.

The PML-N party has historically championed the economic benefits of normalized trade relations with India. However, a potential resumption of trade, despite the controversial actions taken by India in 2019, could indicate a strategic shift in Pakistan’s approach towards the Kashmir dispute. This shift would prioritize economic interests over the longstanding position on the Kashmir issue.

Referring to a recent incident where four Kashmiri youths were killed by Indian forces in the Doda district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the spokesperson stated that this incident demonstrates the unlawful and repressive tactics employed by the Indian authorities against the Kashmiri people.

The spokesperson urged the international community to take immediate and decisive action to hold India accountable for its egregious human rights violations in IIOJK and to take steps to protect the rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people.

She separately noted that Pakistan was “not involved in any mediation” to defuse the situation in the Middle East.

“Pakistan is not a party to these talks in Doha. So we are not in a position to comment on the details of these negotiations,” she said.

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