B. Aravind asked: Is it strategically correct to give Pakistan the most favoured nation status when it is not interested in addressing the issue of terrorism?

P.K. Upadhyay replies: The question of India giving the MFN status to Pakistan is not very relevant at the present juncture, as India had unilaterally conferred this status on Pakistan a very long time back. The issue now is of Pakistan reciprocating and according a similar trading status to India, something on which various concerned circles in Pakistan seem to be in two minds. India accorded the MFN status to Pakistan in the hope and belief that it would be in the larger interest of Indo-Pak relations to expand the scope of people-to-people contacts by building bridges in various fields. Trade and commerce are important areas for improving people-to-people contacts and building a strong lobby for maintaining better inter-state relations. We need to wait and watch if Pakistani side reciprocates to this in true spirit and opens up new possibilities for better Indo-Pak relations.