LAHORE: Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has revealed that India stands to face trade losses of around $1.14 billion due to restrictions preventing the use of Pakistani soil for trade activities.
According to the PBF, India exported goods worth approximately $500 million to Pakistan between April 2024 and January 2025, while imports from India amounted to just $0.42 million.
Additionally, the forum highlighted that trade disruptions would also affect Indian goods transiting through Pakistan to Afghanistan, estimated at $640 million annually, further escalating India’s trade losses.
The PBF expressed full support for government initiatives aimed at countering Indian provocations, advocating for a united national stance to defend Pakistan’s sovereignty. PBF President Khawaja Mehboob Ur Rehman stated that the business community firmly backs the Pakistan Armed Forces, adding that India’s repeated attempts to blame Pakistan every few years are no longer tolerable.
“It has become their pattern to remain silent for a few years and then suddenly start pointing fingers at Pakistan again,” he remarked. “Enough patience has been shown.”
Senior Vice President Amna Munawwar Awan dismissed India’s allegations following the Pahalgam attack as “absurd lies,” describing the incident as a failed attempt to cover up human rights abuses in India-occupied Kashmir.
Chief Organiser Ahmad Jawad called for a complete cessation of trade relations until issues are resolved based on “mutual respect and equality.” He accused India of undermining regional economic integration and peace efforts.
The PBF also condemned India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, labeling the decision as “ridiculous and detrimental” to regional stability. “The only way forward is unity, resilience, and prioritising Pakistan first,” Jawad concluded.
