KARACHI: “The Indo-Pakistan relationship is at an interesting stage. Thereis a dire need to improve bilateral trade to bring it to at least $30billion a year,” Ajay Bisaria, the High Commissioner of India to Pakistan,said on Monday.
He was speaking at a joint meeting of Employers Federation of Pakistan andSouth Asian Forum of Employers.
Others present on the occasion were Gaurav Ahluwalia, the counselor; andAkhilesh Singh, the second secretary.
Bisaria said that there was a potential of taking bilateral trade betweenthe two neighbours to $75 to $80 billion. The largest barrier to enhancingtrade relations is the complex history that underpins the bilateral ties ofthe two countries, he said, adding that the business community on bothsides of the border should play a prominent role in initiating Track IIPlus diplomacy to remove trade obstacles and enhance ties. He lamented thefact that when uncivil acts occurred, the peace process got pushed back,resulting in escalation of hostilities. He said that when North and SouthKorea could move towards peace, then the two South Asian neighbours couldalso move towards a favorable situation.
Bisaria disclosed that medical visas as well as visas for vulnerable groupswere being given a priority, and he hoped that an relaxed visa regime wouldsoon become a reality in the region. He assured the gathering that he woulddo all it took to improve the visa regime.
On Karachi, he said the city was a lot safer now than in the past, addingthat the vibrancy of life and its business activities was a testament tothe greatness of the city. He said that he and his colleagues took a tourof the city and thoroughly enjoyed their time.
Earlier, Majyd Aziz, the president of the Employers Federation of Pakistanas well as the president of the South Asian Forum of Employers, in hiswelcome address highlighted that various measures were needed to enhancetrade. He said the EFP and SAFE were very active in promoting a closerrelationship between the employers of South Asia. He said that for thefirst time, the annual SAFE Conclave was held in Karachi in February andthe delegates were highly impressed by their visit to Karachi. Thedelegates who had come with misconceptions about Karachi changed theirviews after witnessing firsthand the peaceful environment of the megapolis,he said, adding that the EFP and other South Asian employers would be doingjoint projects in training, base survey, and promotion of trade andrequested all High Commissions and Consulates in SAARC countries tofacilitate movements of representatives of these organizations. He saidthat the visa recommendations of SAFE member organisations should be givenimportance when considering visa applications.
Aziz also proposed that India should take matters related to CPEC, IranPakistan gas pipeline, TAPI, and removal of NTBs in a positive light. Hesaid talks were being initiated to develop a transparent mechanism fortransit trade through Pakistan. He also disclosed that with the cooperationof United Stated Institute of Peace, a proposal had been drafted forsetting up an India-specific Special Economic Zone near Wagah.
Later, the EFP members expressed their views on promotion of trade, NTBs,and potential of more Pakistani products for export to India. The EFP willprepare a position paper on Non-Tariff Measures and NTBs for the IndianHigh Commissioner, the gathering was told. They said removal of NTMs andNTBs was essential before any decision by Pakistan to grantNon-Discriminatory Market Access to India. They also deplored thatcontinuous increase in informal trade through either cross-border channelsor through a third country. They demanded that it was high time that banksshould be allowed to establish branches across the border. They alsobrought up the subject of social protection and the attainment ofSustainable Development Goals that should become a priority for South Asiancountries.
The Indian High Commissioner invited a delegation of EFP and SAFE toIslamabad so that further deliberations could be held on various issuesrelated to the business community. The meeting was attended, among others,by EFP Board of Directors, Ismail Suttar, Feroz Alam, Khalid Junejo,Humayun Nazir, Ather Iqbal, Mohsin Tabani, and Secretary General FasihulKarim Siddiqui. At the conclusion, mementos were exchanged and publicationswere presented to Ajay Bisaria.