KARACHI: Soon after withdrawing Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status, Government of india has imposed 200 percent duty on all imports originating in, or exported from Pakistan.
Just a day after at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in a suicide bombing attack in Pulwama in Indian Occupied Kashmir, the Indian government had withdrawn “Most Favoured Nation” or MFN status accorded to Pakistan.
Now, the import duty is increased as initiate steps to ensure complete diplomatic isolation of Pakistan.
“Circumstances exist which render it necessary to take immediate action,” Notification No. 05/2019 issued by Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, read.
“The central government is satisfied that the import duty leviable on all goods originating in or exported from Islamic Republic of Pakistan falling under the first schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 should be increased,” it said.
A duty of 200 percent is imposed on Tariff item 9806 00.00, which defines all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan.
India-Pakistan overall trade stood at $2.4 billion, of which India’s imports from Pakistan were $489 million in 2017-2018.
Pakistan had strongly rejected any insinuation that sought to link the attack to Pakistan without investigations. “We have always condemned acts of violence anywhere in the world,” the Foreign Office said.
“The Modi government has completely messed up Kashmir policy, today we’re seeing a mutation in terrorism, not run from Pakistan, but domestic local Kashmiris turning to terror, its a very very serious situation,” said Manoj Joshi defence expert on India Today TV.
“We would not overreact. We have three options including unilateral, bilateral [action] under the South Asian Free Trade Area (Safta) and multilateral [action] under the World Trade Organisation (WTO). We would take action with great care,” said PM’s Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood.