Pakistan keen to see India as routine trade partner

Aroon Kumar

New Delhi: Mr Irfan Qaiser Sheikh, President, Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry said India and Pakistan are keen to start new trade regime and minimize non-tariff barriers. Mr Sheikh who was leading a trade delegation from Pakistan was addressing an interactive session organized by PHD Chamber here.

He said the objective of bringing the delegation was to explore new trade avenues between India and Pakistan and see them as routine international trade partners, a press release issued by PHD Chamber said.

Pakistan’s major exports to India included vegetables, fruits and nuts, cotton, mineral fuels, salt, lime and cement, but the value of these items contribute to a miniscule share of India’s total imports. A major portion of these items was imported by India from other countries to fill the requirements. He urged India to reduce informal trade with other countries, which would benefit in terms of cost as well as time. Pakistan would be keen to import dairy products, tea, dyeing extracts, chemical and rubber products from India, he informed.

Mr Naeem Anwar, Minister (Trade), High Commission of Pakistan, appreciated the efforts made by PHD Chamber to foster bilateral ties and mentioned that visits by delegations help multiply these efforts. Three reasons restrict trade between India and Pakistan -- restrictions on the movement of businessmen, which could be eased through liberalized visa regime; delays in customs clearance, which could be resolved by keeping a positive mindset towards eachother; and lack of product and sector specific approach, which was necessary to boost the trade volume, he pointed out.

He lauded the positive developments in Indo-Pak trade such as moving from a Positive List to a Negative List trade regime and granting the MFN status to India.

Mr Salil Bhandari, President, PHD Chamber said that both the nations enjoy cultural, social and economic similarities apart from geographical proximity, which can go a long way in strengthening our bi-lateral economic ties. He said that the need was to reduce the trust deficit between the people of India and Pakistan.

Mr P K.Jain, Past President, PHD Chamber, said that the diverse and vibrant consumer markets in both the countries offer immense opportunities for business, which would generate employment opportunities and give a push to the growth index. He expressed the need to explore partnerships in SME sector and services sector.