Pakistan business delegation favours good relations with India

Wagah Dec. 2, (ANI): India and Pakistan have enough room to fill and grow with regard to business sector, said a visiting Pakistani business delegation, which arrived here on Wednesday through Wagah checkpost to participate in Pitex09.

PHD chamber of Commerce and Industry has organized a Punjab International Trade Expo (PITEX) between December 2 to 6 in Amritsar.

Engr. Sohail Lashari, former senior vice president of The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry is leading the 100-member delegationa.

The members of the delegation opined that the trade between the two countries could work as a main tool to establish peace in the region.

Though India and Pakistan have tried to improve and establish good trade links the efforts suffered setbacks due to terror attacks. The delegates have urged India and Pakistan governments that they should make effort to improve relations.

As the trade between the two countries suffered due to terror attacks, according to an estimate, trade between India and Pakistan can touch the 10 billion dollars mark by 2010 from 345 million dollars in 2003-04.

Talking to ANI, Engr. Sohail said that there was a need to break the barriers that prevent both countries to grow rapidly. "The day will come when the West will look to us. He said that we have the solution within us and we need not look for third party to interfere and solve our problems."

"The day when our leaders and public realized that our success lies in peace and friendship, we would be able to jointly beat the world in every sector," said Sohail.

He said that there is also a need to shift the mindset of thinking that we are archrivals. He said even if India intends to establish its hold in the region, it is not possible without the help of Pakistan.

To promote business between the two countries, in 1998 India granted Most favored Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan. However, Pakistan is still reluctant to reciprocate the same status to India.

Pakistan is still importing most of the Indian goods through Middle East by spending huge amounts on fright whereas both countries have established land and railway links.

Pakistan allows only seven to ten perishable items to be imported through road link that has got an advantage of very nominal freights expenditure.

Sayeed Atar Ali Quazmi, another delegate from Pakistan, while endorsing Eng. Sohil's views said that the traders never talk war. So the government should promote the trade link to eliminate unemployment, and prevalent in both countries at present. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)