India seeks opening up of Monabao-Khokhara Par land route on the Sindh border to enhance trade with Pakistan. The issue is included in the current talks with Islamabad. This was said by the Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma during his first visit to Karachi at the city’s airport while addressing a press conference. The land route issue at Mona Bao has already been taken up with the concerned authorities of Pakistan, he added.
It is worth mentioning here that the two countries have already agreed to open a second gate at the Attari-Wagah border, which was expected to increase the number of trucks crossing the border to 500-600 daily from 150-200 at present. Pakistan has agreed to remove restrictions on the number of commodities traded by the land route once the infrastructure in Wagah is ready, while both countries have agreed to avoid arbitrary stoppage of goods at ports.
According to the Indian minister the tow countries needed to step forward for strengthening economic relationship which is vital to improve the life of citizens on both sides. “The challenges you faced here are the same in our country and to minimise the sufferings of people joint efforts are needed,” he said.
There was no way for the two South Asian neighbours, but to come to closure on economic front. “We had also unresolved issues with China, but the two neighbors have now focused on trade,” he said adding that resource mobility and economic engagement should be the primary objectives. To a question, he said, the work on opening of banking channels on both sides of border were on final stages. He said the State Bank of Pakistan and Reserve Bank of India were in touch in this regard.
