Lahore - The High Commissioner of India to Pakistan, Gautam Bambawale, said on Thursday that normalisation of Indo-Pak relations was in the interest of both India and Pakistan, and in order to achieve this, there should be greater trade, business and commerce between the two countries.
He said the list of commodities, which could be traded between Pakistan and India through Wagha border, should be increased to reduce the cost of doing business for the entrepreneurs of both the countries. Talking to a delegation of SAARC CCI, led by its Vice President Iftikhar Malik, here, Bambawale said that there should be more trade shows and exhibitions in each other's countries.
In this regard, the HC welcomed the holding of ‘Alishan Pakistan 2016’ exhibition in New Delhi in September 2016 and assured all-out cooperation on behalf of the Indian authorities.
The delegation also included Abdur Rauf Alam, President FPCCI, CEO TDAP SM Muneer, VP FPCCI Zafar Bakhtawri and Zubair Tufail. He said that both the countries should make it easier for their businessmen to visit each other countries. “Visa regulations should be liberalised which will result in enhanced trade and will bring people of the two countries closer,” he asserted.
“Trade between India and China was just $1 billion in 2000, but has risen to $75 billion in 2015 despite differences,” he said, adding that India wanted to expand trade with Pakistan in the same manner and Pakistan should also think on these lines.” Speaking on the occasion, SAARC CCI Vice President Iftikhar Malik said that trade between SAARC nations was limited and very costly due to tariff and non-tariff barriers.
He said the governments and business community of Pakistan and India should strive to bring the two nations closer, while some sustainable steps were required for building trust which is imperative for the development of both nations. Malik said that SAARC Chamber’s building in Islamabad would be inaugurated by the SAARC leaders during the two-day Saarc Summit, scheduled to commence on November 10.
President of The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Abdur Rauf Alam said that business was the best tool to reduce tensions and improve trust, which would have an impact on the standard of living of tens of millions of people in a short span of time.
CEO TDAP asked the HC to ease issuance of visa to bolster trade while Khalid Javed demanded the import of plant and machinery through Wagha border, as imports through Calcutta were costly. The trade leaders also demanded waiver of the condition of reporting to police during the process of issuance of visa.