Lahore: Pakistan and India are determined to normalise trade and economic ties and discussions are on to introduce multiple-entry visas for businessmen, Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim said on Saturday as he inaugurated the largest ever India-specific trade exhibition in Pakistan.
Nearly 200 Indian exhibitors are participating in 'The India Show' at the Lahore Expo Centre. Diverse products, ranging from gems and textiles to heavy machinery, are being showcased at the three-day exhibition. Fahim said the exhibition is part of efforts to normalise bilateral trade relations.
Discussions were being held to introduce multiple-entry visas valid for three years for the business communities of the two countries, he said. Pakistan traders will go to India soon to organise a "Made in Pakistan" show, Fahim said.
He acknowledged that the existing infrastructure at the Wagah land border was inadequate for handling even the current volume of trade but said things were improving. Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal, in his address, said the two sides have the potential to boost bilateral trade to USD 15 billion a year.
He urged businessmen from India and Pakistan to explore new opportunities. India is a growing economy and other countries of the region too should benefit from its growth, he said. "We should have trust and understanding for the mutual benefit of our people," Sabharwal added.
Fahim also acknowledged the concerns of Pakistani traders and industrialists regarding moves to improve trade with India, saying no decisions would be made in haste, but allayed fears that such measures would kill Pakistani industries.
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