PAKISTAN AND India are at it, again. After numerous attempts to strengthen their bilateral trade relations, the two nations have begun their state-level commerce secretary talks in New Delhi on Monday. Apart from boosting the trade relations, the main topic in the agenda will also be Pakistan cabinet’s decision to grant India the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status.

Pakistani representative and Commerce Secretary Zafar Mahmood accompanied by his entourage will hold the high level talks with his Indian counterpart Rahul Khullar for two days. The highlight of the meeting would be India seeking reasoning behind why it was given the MFN status and Pakistan seeking less stringent visa restrictions on its businessmen. Islamabad had, in the past, cried foul as it sought to revoke the trade barriers India had imposed on Pakistani businessmen.

Indicating ‘major breakthroughs’ in the meeting, Mahmood said that Pakistan will not revoke its MFN status and hopefully the result of the meeting would be ascertained over the next two days. The south Asian arch rivals in the past have traded for a meagre amount of $2.6 billion and Mahmood wanted to clear the void and enhance trade relations between the two nations.

While questions have been repeatedly popping about Pakistan most likely to take back the MFN status that it has granted India, Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar told NDTV that "We will not backtrack on a cabinet decision. So let me categorically say that and I don't see a lot of room for confusion."