Pakistan which resides in the Grey List of FATF, after being negated by the whole world and abandoned by the Arabs, is now seeking to restart trade with India. Pakistan has been debt trapped by China. And it spends more than 85% of its income to pay debts. Pakistan had itself suspended trade with India after India abrogated Article 370. And is now back in India’s shelter to survive.
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Pakistan: A nation abandoned by its Masters i.e ‘Arabs’
India since its independence had propagated Non- Alignment, but it has always resided in the Soviet camp. Though it’s non-negotiable that India was benefitted from the Soviets.
But after the disintegration of the Soviets, the world became unipolar and times defines needs. India’s need at that time was to be in the good books of America. But India never could actually establish itself on the world stage, until PM Narendra Modi arrived.
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Not only domestic politics but Prime Minister Narendra Modi excels at the stage of foreign policy also.
America had always favoured Pakistan from funds to wars. Arabs have always aligned with Pakistan in the name of religion. This scenario changed after 2014.
The Sunni Arab nations like UAE and Saudi Arabia have promised trade and investment with India. and this amounts to almost hundreds of dollars.
The Pakistanis are miffed as their biradaars(brothers) are uniting with ‘Hindu’ India. After Arab nations’ alignment with India, Pakistan is now an orphan.
Pakistan debt trapped by China
China is a nation that thrives on dominance. And China has a different strategy to gain dominance and that is ‘dominance’. China is using debt rather than aid to establishing a dominant position in the world. And one such initiative that is plunging nations into massive Chinese debts is China’s BRI (Belt and Road Initiative).
Read More- So how bad really is Pakistan’s debt crisis?
A study by AidData suggests that around 42 countries have more than 10% of their GDP owed as debt to China.
Pakistan is one such country that is debt trapped by China through CPEC ( China Pakistan Economic Corridor) among others.
Pakistan’s external debts and liabilities have reached $112 billion out of which 27% is lent by China.
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Paksitan now seeks refuge from India
After being orphaned by its masters and debt trapped by its dearest ally China, Pakistan’s last hope is India. The same nation that dragged Kashmir’s issue to United Nations then and now, is now bowing in front of India.
Pakistan’s last hope to feed its people is ‘India’ which has been constantly terrorized by Pakistan.
Abdul Razak Dawood, who is the adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Commerce, has recommended the resumption of trade with India. Dawood accepted before the media that Trade is the need of the hour and will be beneficial for Pakistan.
Data suggests that the trade bans between both countries have impacted Pakistan adversely. Pakistan heavily relies on India for key raw materials for its textiles and pharmaceuticals industries. Pakistan exports very little as compared to its import.
India’s stand on Trade with Pakistan
India has always desired normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan. But there are some prerequisite conditions for trade upon which India had always laid stress on. These conditions are an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.
The trade was suspended by Pakistan itself to register outrage against India’s step to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan’s outrage not only suspended trade but also downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad.
India had made it very clear that “talks and terror” cannot go hand in hand. And the step of Pakistan to resume trade is completely selfish. A country that has suspended trade over India’s internal matters should now not be bowing down to India.
It is speculated that India has given Pakistan many changes and several rounds of talks have happened but all of that had earlier or later claimed the lives of Indian soldiers. Pakistan should get it clear that this is a new India that cannot be deceived.
India had beered the brunt of befriending Pakistan and this time India and its Central leadership should not give a free hand to the Pakistanis.