Pakistan permits trade of life-saving drugs with India amid tensions over occupied Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Monday allowed the import of life-saving medicines from India in order to provide relief to patients amid bilateral tensions with New Delhi over the illegal annexation of Indian-occupied Kashmir last month. 

The permission to import and export medicines to and from the Hindu-majority country was granted by the Ministry of Commerce, which issued a statutory regulatory order in this regard. 

Last month, Pakistan suspended bilateral trade with neighbour India after the latter illegally annexed Indian occupied Kashmir by revoking the special constitutional autonomy of the occupied valley through a presidential order rushed through the parliament.  

Hundreds of thousands of additional troops were posted in the valley following the order and a military curfew imposed. Thousands of Kashmiri political leaders, businessmen, civil activists and other ordinary citizens were arrested. 

International media are now reporting widespread torture and abuse of these detainees by the Indian security forces. Some reports have even claimed that India is denying medical care to patients. Last week, US Senator Bernie Sanders expressed concern in this regard. 

Moreover, Pakistan is also contemplating closing its airspace for Indian flights and is also discussing other measures aimed at downgrading bilateral ties with India to protest the moves in the occupied valley.