Pakistan trade team to visit India on 9th

ISLAMABAD - As having brakes to the composite bilateral trade negotiations between the two archrivals Pakistan and India since recent Mumbai carnage, a high-level official trade delegation will visit India to participate in the regional trade parleys next week. A senior govt official said a three-member delegation of Commerce Ministry led by its Secretary Suleman Ghani would visit India on the coming Monday to discuss the regional trade talks under SAARC Economic Cooperation. While talking to TheNation here on Wednesday, Secretary Commerce Suleman Ghani confirmed, "I along with two other officials will go to India to discuss the trade and economic cooperation among the regional countries." He said that this was a routine scheduled meeting of SAARC member countries in India and it had nothing to do with the bilateral trade negotiations. The agenda of the regional meeting was to enhance the free trade. Pakistan and India bilateral relations had almost come to a standstill after last year November Mumbai terror attacks that India had been accusing of being plotted inside Pakistan. All forms of talks including trade under the composite dialogue, started since January 2004, were put off by India till positive response from Pakistan. However, Pakistan had repeatedly assured India of full cooperation but the latter could not consider the offer. It is pertinent to mention here that the Mumbai carnage has endangered the fate of Pak-India trade and the trade talks which were scheduled to be held in mid of December last year were also postponed due to the prevailing tension between the two neighbouring countries.

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