Pak ECC approves bilateral trade with India

Islamabad, Mar 20 : Pakistan's Economic Coordination Committee has accepted the Ministry of Commerce summary seeking permission for bilateral trade with India through Wagah-Attari road link.

The proposal was made in the light of a decision taken in an earlier meeting between both the sides at New York on Sept 24, 2008.

The ECC advised the authorities concerned to implement it in a phased manner commensurate with parallel development of infrastructure on both sides of the border.

ECC, which constituted of constituted a Surveillance Committee under MINFAL comprising representatives of relevant Federal and Provincial Governments Organizations, met under the chairmanship of Adviser to PM on Finance and Economic Affairs, Shaukat Tarin, The Nation reports.

The committee also asked the Provincial Governments to take action against hoarders of food items as per law in order to provide relief to the common man.

The ECC reviewed Key Economic Indicators (KEI) and overall price situation in the country and noted that overall Consumer Price Index (CPI-based) inflation has registered a deceleration of 0.4 per cent during (July-Feb) 2009 over the same period of last year.

ANI