In other news: A day after granting MFN status to India, the Pakistan government today appeared to be playing to the gallery by being ambiguous on the issue.

The Foreign Office here said the Cabinet had cleared a move for normalisation of bilateral trade relations that will "culminate" with MFN.

India had granted Pakistan MFN status way back in 1996, but Islamabad had so far held out on reciprocating due to opposition from some trade lobbies and religious and hardline political parties which contended that such a move would harm the country's stand on the Kashmir issue.