New Delhi: On February 2, US President Donald Trump announced a new trade agreement with India that brings down the reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods
to 18 per cent from the previous 50 per cent. Trump also claimed that India won’t buy Russian oil anymore and would increase imports from the US.
Pakistan shocked by India’s reduced tariff
The reduced tariff has reportedly shocked people in Pakistan. There, critics have slammed high-profile leaders who failed to appease Washington despite numerous outreach efforts. While Pakistan tried to make Trump happy, including nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize and backing his inclusion on the Board of Peace, the country has a higher tariff burden than India.
It is a widespread belief in the neighbouring country that New Delhi held its ground against pressure from the US and managed to secure the deal. Notably, Pakistan faces a 19 per cent rate despite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir’s sustained lobbying efforts in Washington.
Critics slam Sharif, Munir
In one viral post, Pakistan-based X user Umar Ali wrote, “Donald Trump has treated Field Marshal like that mistress who makes her lover do all the illegal and dirty work, and when the time comes to give or take something, she says I am compelled to obey my family’s decision, forget me. My body will remain my husband’s, but my soul will always remain yours.”
Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) minister Hammad Azhar said, “Foreign policy in the 21st century isn’t about optics or personal relationships. It’s about leveraging economic strength, tariffs, and market access. India’s recent trade deals with the EU and the US prove the point. Sycophancy & photo ops are useless.”
Digital creator Wajahat Khan wrote, “Trump is a businessman. He saw a manager and a shopkeeper and gave them a shopkeeper’s deal. India came as a partner and walked away with the 18 per cent prize. This is the cost of having a government without the backbone of a public mandate.”
