A 12-member World Bank (WB) mission discussed ‘Pak-India trade through land route’ with members of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Monday. The WB team headed by South Asia Regional Integration Senior Operations Officer Diep Nguyen-van Houtte spent over an hour at the LCCI to acquire information about facilities at the Wagah Border. Nguyen said that the LCCI’s proposals and suggestions would significantly help in the early-phase development of much needed infrastructure at Wagah, which would enable the WB to finalise a trade facilitation policy between India and Pakistan. LCCI Senior Vice President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said that Pakistan and India could play an important role in the economic development of this region. Pakistan was keen on establishing strong trade ties with India, he said, adding that a platform should be created to facilitate businessmen on both sides to improve the flow of bilateral trade. Sheikh said that private donors needed to support the cause so that infrastructure could be developed in order to ease the trade activity via borders. The current facilities available for trade through the land route needed Expansion and electronic data exchange should be introduced because trade expansion required more specialised logistic services, he said. Furthermore, Sheikh said that testing facilities should be made available at the border and that mutual recognition agreements should be signed.
