Survey: 44 Percent of Pakistanis Favor Reinstating Trade with India

(MENAFN) A recent survey by Gallup & Gilani Pakistan reveals that 44% of Pakistanis support resuming trade relations with India. The survey, which was conducted on a nationally representative sample of adults across the country, asked, "Some people believe that trade with India should be allowed, while others oppose this idea. What is your opinion on this matter?"

The results showed that 44% of respondents favored trade with India, 28% were against it, while 26% were unsure, and 2% did not respond, according to Gallup & Gilani Pakistan’s official website on Monday.

Formal trade relations between Pakistan and India were suspended in August 2019 after Pakistan severed ties in response to India’s revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, leading to a significant decline in trade volumes.

However, trade persists through indirect routes, with goods exchanged through third-party nations like the United Arab Emirates, as reported by Pakistan's commerce ministry. While business communities and trade experts have occasionally called for restoring economic relations, highlighting possible mutual advantages, no official measures have been implemented to revive trade between the two nations.

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