Indian opposition scuttles EU trade deal (with Pakistan)

Source: Express Tribune

Pakistan appears to have lost a five-year fight to gain preferential access to European markets after the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled on Monday that the European Union’s (EU) tariff concessions offer to Islamabad violated international trade agreements.

The EU had offered those concessions to Pakistan in the aftermath of the 2010 floods, which devastated large parts of the country. Under the global trade rules, the package had to be endorsed by the WTO.

In September 2010, the European Council approved tariff concessions on 75 items. The total worth of the items exported under these tariff lines is $1.03 billion and the average tariff on these items is 8.86 per cent. Under the EU proposal, the tariff would be reduced to zero for a period of three years.

Despite stiff opposition from India, the EU is still hopeful that a solution can be found in time for the WTO General Council meeting. “It is, of course, disappointing that some members of the WTO still oppose the trade concessions for Pakistan,“ said Lars-Gunner Wigemark, the head of the EU delegation to Pakistan.

Read more: http://tribune.com.pk/story/136039/indian-opposition-scuttles-eu-trade-deal/

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Apparently the EU intended to unilaterally eliminate tariffs for 3 years on 75 items imported from Pakistan to help it recover from the devastating floods in 2010.

The opposition to this came, not from within Europe, but from India.

They spend most of that on military hardware. Pakistan can have economic concessions when it downsizes its military, eliminates its nuclear weapons program and stops terrorism in Kashmir. Otherwise it is simply rewarding bad behavior.

Those "handouts" are not really to Pakistan; they are to US arms suppliers. PK is not allowed to use those "credits" for anything except "purchasing" US arms.

But you know this, of course. Just using it as another opportunity to attack PK.

Musharraf himself wrote in his memoirs how he diverted US funds to buy weaponry against India instead of going after the Taliban.

To outsiders, it would look like Kashmir would have problems with BOTH India and Pakistan, not just with one of them.

Not much talk here either about the Hindi group that was found to be the real culprits in many bombings in India previously attributed to Muslims directed by PK.

there are plenty of indians who support a free kashmir. there would be more, if india was more honest about the history of kashmir

Strategically, an Islamic republic in Kashmir creates a doomsday scenario for India.

a) India will be saddled with all the Hindu Kashmiris who were systematically driven out (the Pundits)

b) Kashmir will cement the China-Pakistan axis to launch strikes against India.

It is thus in India's best interests to let Pakistan bleed in the proxy war and go bankrupt or get balkanized. Unfortunately, the US aid keeps Pakistan afloat and delays the process.

If Pakistan is balkanized, it would be better for its citizens because instead of focusing on dominating India, the funds will be diverted to economic development, education and healthcare.

doesnt mean those who do are fringe groups.

I don't support Hindu fanatics either, however, there have been several governments in India with a PM from 5 different parties and not one of them has ever supported a free Kashmir. Only loons like Arundhati Roy support a free Kashmir, mainly to sell their books in the West.

You forget that Indian side of Kashmir has ELECTIONS with a 65%+ turnout and Indian state of Kashmir has a democratically elected government. Even a majority of Kashmiris don't want independence because they know that they will become pawns in the China-India-Pakistan game forever.

is about the only preventative measure for radicalization of youth in pakistan.

wars directed at India. Pakistan exists for one purpose -- to convert India into an Islam dominated, Islamic country.

I have had discussions with many Pakistanis about this and my observation has been that Punjabi Pakistanis particularly talk about the "glory days" of Islam and want India to be an Islamic republic. Pakistani military's training manuals state this objective explicitly.

Furthermore, all of Pakistani weapons systems are named after brutal thugs who invaded India through history -- like Gaznavi, Qutubuddin, Shaheen, Ghauri etc. Look it up yourself :)

I have never seen or heard anyone else with such a delusional view!!!

Only reason for existence is to convert India in an Islamic country. I need to email this to some friends who know the region and who could use a good laugh. Some from PK, some from IN, others who were posted in PK. OMG

Most of the Punjabi I know would like to have their country back, to have a functioning society improving the lives of everyone, to be able to visit in safety elderly relatives on the other side of the IN/PK border, to enjoy a bit of cricket, etc. and to get on with their lives.

I didn't say ALL punjabis think that way, however, why is it that Pakistan has attacked India FOUR times since its independence when India has more muslims than Pakistan?

Why does a tiny little tinpot country like Pakistan need nuclear weapons when India has always extended the hand of peace and has pledged "no first strike?"

How come innocent people get killed in Banglore, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai by terrorists sent by Pakistani ISI? Why is it that Pakistan won't extradite world recognized terrorists like Dawood Ibrahim and the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attack?

Pakistan is a terrorist state -- it has nothing to show the world other than terrorism. Like Madeleine Albright said, "Pakistan is an international migraine."