Despite the longstanding political tensions, Pakistan has quietly imported goods worth $1.62 billion from India over the past five years, revealing a surprising continuity in trade relations.
This substantial figure, disclosed by officials from Pakistan’s commerce ministry during a session with the Standing Committee for Trade, underscores the resilience of economic exchanges even when diplomatic ties are strained.
The report highlights that Pakistan imported $380 million worth of goods from India during the 2019-20 financial year, followed by $327 million in FY20-21, $352 million in FY21-22, $276 million in FY22-23, and $278 million in FY23-24.
Despite the suspension of official trade in 2019, these figures demonstrate an ongoing demand for essential goods, particularly pharmaceutical raw materials necessary for manufacturing life-saving drugs.
Interestingly, while Pakistan continued to import from India, there have been no exports to India in the last four years.
The trade suspension in 2019 followed India’s controversial decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, a move that exacerbated tensions between the two nations.
Islamabad’s position has remained firm, linking the resumption of dialogue with New Delhi to the restoration of Kashmir’s autonomy.
However, India has consistently refused to revisit the issue, considering it an internal matter.
As a result, the trade relationship, while reduced to essential imports, continues to reflect the complicated dynamics between the two neighbors.
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