NEW DELHI: Even though their country is being devastated by a natural disaster of unprecedented scope, Pakistan's authorities feel it appropriate to engage in petty politics with their "arch enemy," India.

Nearly one-third of the country has been ravaged by the severe monsoon rains brought on by climate change. Millions of people are marooned and are unable to access food, shelter, or medical care.

Inflation in food surged to a 47-year high of 27.3% in August. Also, the IMF, a global lender of last resort, has issued a warning that the cash-strapped country's rising inflation might lead to unrest and instability.

To get through the current food crisis, Miftah Ismail, the federal finance minister, wants Pakistan to import at least vegetables from India. However, the Opposition, which is led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has sparked a controversy over the proposal, making it a contentious subject.

The struggling Shehbaz Sharif administration has requested onions and tomatoes from Iran and Afghanistan, but it is unclear to what extent the two neighbours can accommodate Pakistan.

Following New Delhi's removal of Jammu and Kashmir's special constitutional status three years ago as part of its effort to forcefully combat terrorism coming from Pakistani land and from Kashmir under Pakistan, the Imran Khan regime imposed a trade embargo on India. and held the decision's reversal prisoner while holding bilateral normalcy hostage.

The hanging-by-a-threat Prime Minister Sharif and his shaky coalition government have now declared "no import from India, come what may" due to political imperatives.

It will be interesting to see how Pakistan is removed from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) "grey list" of countries that support terrorism (since 2018). Its delegation is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad to conduct an on-site audit of the steps taken to stop the funding of terrorism and money laundering in the "land of the pure," as Pakistanis love to refer to their nation.

Pakistan's prayer to the FATF, and money lending agencies is "adopt a lenient attitude." This includes a request to ignore mistakes and ensure the flow of money into a nation that has an insatiable appetite for foreign handouts.

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