The federal cabinet has put off an Economic Coordination Committee’s proposal of import of cotton and sugar from India.

As per the details, a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan took up various agendas including the ECC’s proposal for importing sugar and cotton from India.

According to sources, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a video message after the meeting that after debating the matter, the federal cabinet did not endorse the ECC’s proposal for the import of cotton and sugar from India and decided to put it off.

Qureshi said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and the cabinet members unanimously believe that normalization of Pakistan-India ties is impossible unless India reverses its illegal steps of August 5, 2019, in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Later, Federal Minister for science and technology Fawad Chaudhry briefed the media about the federal cabinet meeting. He said that the government has not approved any trade activity with India.

He said that even though Pakistan-India relations can be a game-changer for the region and bring economic prosperity but “this progress cannot be achieved on the cost of Kashmir dispute.

Fawad Chaudhry also said that the government as well as the Prime Minister has always reiterated their stance that peace in Kashmir is a key to durable peace in South Asia.

He said if India withdraws its August 5 move, new avenues of cooperation can be opened between the two countries.

Fawad Chaudhry also talked about the coronavirus situation, saying the government is determined to battle the pandemic as it did during the previous two waves.

He said in the light of the Broadsheet inquiry commission report, the cabinet decided to take legal action against officers involved in the case.

He added that action will also be taken against the mafia involved in creating the sugar crisis.

He said the records of Swiss accounts were lost due to the criminal negligence of the then Chairman NAB and other officials.