Sabarwal made the comments while speaking in Naya Daur TV show Neighbours Talking which covers developments in South Asia. Responding to a query by host Ayesha Siddiqa, the former Indian diplomat said trade with India can only be normalised if a change is witnessed in segments of the Pakistani foreign policy establishment and political discourse.
Trade with India, he said, would help Pakistan more than the former. He quoted the example of Indian machinery being imported into Pakistan through third countries in this context.
Sabarwal said both, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party government were positively inclined towards trading with India. He said he had been told former COAS Ashfaq Pervez Kayani had given it a nod. Movement, however, had nosedived following terrorist attacks in India, Sabwarwal said.
Responding to Siddiqa on why the neighbours were no longer talking the former Indian envoy cited how Pakistan was not a foreign policy priority, its "fractious" political environment and its hard stance post the revocation of Article 370 which granted Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) special status as reasons.
Neighbours Talking, hosted by Siddiqa, is broadcast every Sunday at 7:30pm on Naya Daur TV. It covers developments in South Asia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0sm0zRNiQ4