‘India played its cards well’: Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi backs New Delhi on US trade deal, slams Congress criticism | WATCH

File photo of Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi

Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi praised India’s strategic global trade approach, highlighting its economic strength, selective concessions, and protection of domestic interests, contrasting it with Pakistan’s instability and policy confusion.

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At a time when Pakistan is struggling with economic instability, shrinking foreign reserves, and policy confusion, senior Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi has publicly acknowledged that India is playing global trade politics far more strategically. Speaking on a Pakistani television channel, Sethi criticised the Indian National Congress for attacking New Delhi’s trade engagement with the United States and openly admitted that India, unlike Pakistan, has the economic depth and political room to negotiate from a position of strength.

Sethi said India’s large import plans, selective concessions, and firm protection of domestic interests show calculated decision-making. He also remarked that both India and former US President Donald Trump had “played their cards well” in trade negotiations.

Sethi criticises Congress over India-US trade narrative

Sethi began by questioning the Congress party’s criticism of India’s trade outreach.

“India is criticising Congress,” he said, adding that New Delhi had already laid out a clear economic roadmap.

“India has said that in the next five years, it will import 500 billion dollars,” Sethi noted.

Even the radical Pakistanis know what India has pulled off in Ind-US trade dealpic.twitter.com/vJrGcz9Q2N

— Pakistan Untold (@pakistan_untold) February 9, 2026

Big-ticket deals and strategic purchases

Highlighting India’s economic scale, Sethi pointed to major defence and aviation purchases.

“They want to buy at least 100 billion dollars of Boeing aircraft,” he said. “They already took the package and went after the inauguration. They are putting it in this account.”

He added that India is also negotiating for advanced technology and weapons systems.

“Similarly, there are other technological weapons systems. They are also worth 50 to 100 billion dollars,” Sethi said.

“So basically, it is not an objective that cannot be fulfilled.”

‘India has played its cards well’

Sethi openly credited India’s negotiating strategy.

“So, I think India has played its cards well. And I think Donald Trump has also played his cards well,” he said.

He acknowledged that India had made some trade concessions but rejected claims that these weakened its domestic economy.

“India has given some concessions, which are being criticised,” Sethi said.

Farmers protected, concessions limited

Addressing claims that Indian farmers were exposed, Sethi dismissed the criticism.

“But look, they were saying that India did not protect the farmers. What did they not protect? They protected the farmers and gave permission to the American exporters,” he said.

On dairy imports, he added, “India gave a little permission, but did not fulfil it.”

“Yes, they said that some sectors are protected. But the US is not agreeing. It has happened. It will happen,” he said.

India will not compromise on core interests

Sethi underlined that India will not bow to pressure where domestic stability is concerned.

“India will continue to protect those sectors,” he said. “India cannot afford that farmers’ strikes are still going on. That will become a problem. India will never agree to that.”

He said New Delhi would instead offer selective concessions.

“But India will give concessions on motorcycles and other things, which will adjust the balance,” he added.

‘Make in India is not under threat’

Responding to fears of inflation and damage to domestic manufacturing, Sethi pushed back.

“At the end of the day, the people who are saying that there will be inflation in India and what will happen to Make in India,” he said.

“India produces a lot of products locally. Yes, but what it produces locally, it is not getting it from America. India is okay.”

The remarks stand out sharply in Pakistan’s media discourse, especially as Islamabad remains trapped in bailout talks and short-term fixes, while India negotiates billion-dollar deals with confidence and clarity.