Pakistan defers decision to import sugar, cotton from India: FM

ISLAMABAD, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Thursday that the decision on importing sugar and cotton from India had been deferred.

Pakistani Finance Minister Hammad Azhar announced on Wednesday that Pakistan decided to further relax trade restrictions with India by approving to import sugar and cotton from the neighbor.

The federal cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad on Thursday decided to defer the proposal, said Qureshi in a video message released to media by the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan.

Pakistan downgraded diplomatic relations with India and suspended bilateral trade in August 2019 after India revoked a clause in its constitution to remove the special status of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"There was a clear and unanimous opinion of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the cabinet that relations with India will not be possible to become normal until India reviews the one-sided Indian decision of Aug. 5, 2019," Qureshi said.