Pakistan has imported goods worth $1.62 billion from its Eastern neighbor over the past five years despite strained relations between the two nations since 2019.
According to documents presented by the Commerce Ministry to the Standing Committee for Trade, Pakistan imported goods valued at $380 million from India in the financial year 2019-20. This was followed by imports of $327 million in FY20-21, $352 million in FY21-22, $276 million in FY22-23, and $278 million in FY23-24.
Pakistan halted trade with India in 2019 following deteriorating relations, which were exacerbated by India’s decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, a move that has remained a point of contention between the two nations.
Commerce Ministry officials stated that the imports primarily consisted of pharmaceutical raw materials necessary for manufacturing life-saving drugs. Despite these imports, Pakistan has not exported any goods to India for the past four years.
Islamabad has consistently linked the resumption of dialogue with India to the restoration of Kashmir’s special status, a condition that New Delhi has refused to entertain, considering the matter as an internal and settled issue.
