ISLAMABAD: The trade leaders of Pakistan and India unanimously stressed the need for "Trust Building Measures" between private sectors of the two countries to boost bilateral trade.
Talking to newsmen here Monday on return from New Delhi after a week long visit, VP SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Iftikhar Ali Malik who is also senior member of Pakistan India Joint Business Forum (PIJBF) said that result oriented meetings were held with Indian counterparts to work out viable strategies and mechanism to promote bilateral trade between the two neighbours.
He said during the marathon meeting, it came to knowledge of both sides that there is still dire need to remove apprehensions and doubts in the minds of importers, exporters and traders of either countries on top priority.
He said there is need to address concerns relating to market access, tariff and non tariff barriers.
He said that it was agreed in principle that traders of both countries must conduct exchange of series of visits to each other country to pave way for smooth flow of trade after removal of their multiple apprehensions.
He said that Sunil Kanat Munjal Mattel, co-chairman, PIJBF had assured Chairman PIJBF Syed Yawar Ali that India will extend support and training facilities to human resources of Pakistan industrial sector on modern lines to meet the international standards of exports.
Iftikhar Ali Malik who led SAARC CCI pak chapter delegation to India, apart from PIJBF, also held another meaningful meetings with top trade leaders of Confederation of Indian Chamber (CII) and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to discuss the modalities for bilateral trade between the two nuclear powers. He said that it was cleared to Indian counterpart that "Pakistan wants level playing field for strengthening trade ties with India". He said that top leadership of CII,FICCI, SAARCE CCI and PIJBF has in principle agreed to support Pakistan in health, agri, engineering and automobile sectors and help establish modern vocational training centres at all important industrial cities to produce the best quality skilled manpower a key to successful export in line with global marketing.
He said CII, FICCI, SAARC CCI and PIJBF will hold joint seminars and workshops in different big cities of Pakistan in collaboration with Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry to help develop modern infrastructure and boost existing bilateral trade relations for strengthening the national economy.
Iftikhar Ali Malik said that "leaders from both sides are pushing the need to liberalise the visa regime between Pakistan and India to promote business linkage".
Prominent among those attended the PIJBF meeting were Syed Yawar Ali, M Sikandar Khan, Madam Suri, Vikramjit Singh, SVP, FICCI, Noor Muhammad Kasuri, Ajay S Shriram, Chandrajit Banerje and Rajesh Menon.
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