Islamabad: India has ruled out moving to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against Pakistan for not granting it Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status and said it wanted Islamabad to do so without any "external pressure".

India does not want to file an appeal in WTO against Islamabad for not granting MFN status to New Delhi, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Shivshankar Menon said yesterday (Mar 15, 2004) at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) while speaking on 'Pak-India Trade: Its Present and Future'.

"We want Islamabad to do it without any external pressure," he said. India has already granted MFN status to Pakistan and other SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) members.

He urged Pakistan to respond positively to India's gesture as trade relations through MFN has the potential to boost the trade to $ six billion in one year.

"Islamabad's move to a negative list from the current positive list system, if that were to happen, I am sure that our existing complimentaries will create several opportunities for businessmen from both the countries," he said.

Menon, who has been addressing several Pakistan trade bodies in the aftermath of meeting between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines of SAARC summit held in January said the opening of direct bilateral trade on MFN basis would result in the expansion of the two-way trade to the tune of $ six billion within a year or so.