LAHORE - All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) central chairman Aamir Fayyaz has demanded immediate suspension of bilateral trade with India in the wake of prevailing hostilities.

“An immediate revision of trade ties is the need of the hour, especially considering the Indian government’s threats of stopping river water flow into Pakistan and its aggressive posturing,” he stressed.  He said India’s recent pronouncements have betrayed its designs to bring Pakistan’s agriculture to a halt and ultimately cripple its economy.

Aamir Fayyaz said the hostile attitude and vitiation of business relations by the Indian government makes it impractical and unfeasible to continue to trade with India especially taking into account the uncertainty it has generated with regard to long term decision making. On grounds of reciprocity and principle also, trade with India required to be stalled forthwith, he added. Aptma chairman pointed out that the trade data for 2015-16 indicated that Pakistan’s exports to India stood at $389m against Indian exports of $2.2 billion to Pakistan, revealing a trade deficit of $1.8 billion in favour of India.

One-sided and open access for Indian goods into the Pakistani market has resulted in job creation in India at the cost of thousands of lost jobs in Pakistan. Economic security is vital for securing national integrity and defence of the country, Fayyaz said.