In the first 8 months of the government led by Shehbaz Sharif, imports from India have been witnessing a continuous increase, while despite the suspension of formal trade between the two countries, imports increased by 46% for the third consecutive month in October of the current fiscal year to $35.8 million on an annual basis.
Government sources said that in October 2024, there was a huge increase of 46% in imports from India on an annual basis, after which the volume of imports from India last month was $35.8 million, while imports from India in October 2023 were $24.5 million.
Sources said that in September 2024, imports from India increased by 45% on an annual basis and in August 2024, imports from India increased by 5% on an annual basis.
Earlier, imports from India also increased in January, March 2024 and February, May 2023.
It may be recalled that Pakistan had suspended trade with India in August 2023, but later Pakistan relaxed and allowed trade in life-saving medicines.
Later in May, Deputy Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told the National Assembly in a written reply to a question that trade relations between Pakistan and India have been suspended since 2019 due to New Delhi imposing heavy duties on imports from Pakistan after the Pulwama attack.
Ishaq Dar was referring to the suicide attack on a bus carrying soldiers in Indian-occupied Kashmir on February 14, 2019, in which 40 personnel lost their lives.
He had said that India decided to impose 200 percent duty on imports from Pakistan, and suspended the Kashmir bus service and trade across the Line of Control.
The Foreign Minister gave this response to a question from PPP leader Sharmila Farooqui in which she sought details about the challenges facing Pakistan in its relations with neighboring countries.
