Prospect fading of EU-Pakistan trade relief

Efforts by the UK to win backing from European Union leaders for a substantial new trade pact with Pakistan have hit the buffers after a handful of EU states whose textile industries could be hurt raised objections.

The UK has said the EU needs to go well beyond its usual packages for disaster relief and medium-to-long-term reconstruction aid in the case of the flood-struck Asian country. The British position chimes with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton's stated aim to develop a...