Ludhiana, December 14
Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in an exclusive interview with The Tribune Editor-in-Chief Raj Chengappa, says his country and India are moving towards a non-discriminatory trade agreement. “The most favoured nation status is being replaced by a new nomenclature by both countries. It is being termed as non-discriminatory access or non-discriminatory trade agreement,” he said.

The two Punjabs of Pakistan and India have a huge potential to share. “These include manufacturing of goods, agriculture, skill development and research, improving yields of cotton and milk, and basmati production,” he said.

Talking about the recent tension along the Line of Control, Shahbaz Sharif said Pakistan would not do anything to derail the fragile peace process.

On Kashmir, water and Siachin, he said: “While we must have economic cooperation, we need to resolve these issues by sitting across the table. Conflict is not an answer, and we cannot ignore these important issues”.

He said Pakistan is committed to fighting terrorism of all shades. “There is no way we can think of ever encouraging such (terror) elements”.