Before departing for a 6-day tour of India, Federal Trade Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that Pakistan and India could not improve their mutual trade without resolving core issues. During an interview, Faheem said tense relations have hampered progress and development in both countries, and while conflicts had occurred in the past, the path of dialogue and friendship should be tried.
The minister said this was the reason for his India visit. He said he hoped to solve disputes through trade and was hopeful. He said his agenda included land trade through Wahga and other borders and other issues such as visa tariffs, non-tariff and softening Indian opposition to Pakistani access to EU markets.
He said he will seek trade with India on positives and stress trade over negatives. He said this is despite the outstanding disputes between both countries had a bundle of disputes. He said he would try to carve out a path for trade between the two countries and wait for a positive outcome on disputes.
He said all trade from the Gwadar Port was compatible with international-level trade and any access to EU markets Pakistan would get would be its luck. The minister said excise revenue will help Pakistani products gain better access to international markets. He said the official duration of his India tour will be three days, while remaining three days will be private.
The Pakistani delegation will include Trade and Development Authority of Pakistan CE Tariq Iqbal Puri, Trade Development Authority Secretary Javed Anwar Khan, Pakistani High Commission Trade Representative Naeem Anwar. The Indian side would be headed by Indian Trade Minister Anand Sharma, and comprises of Secretary Trade Ramil Kela, India’s high commissioner in Pakistan Shart Sabarwal and Chairman Indian Trade Promotion Organization.
