Thaindian News

Islamabad, April 27(ANI): The Commerce Secretaries of Pakistan and India will meet in Islamabad on Wednesday in a renewed effort to expand bilateral trade.

A number of issues are expected to be taken up during the two-day talks for furthering Indo-Pak commercial ties, an area where the Indian side has been eager to take the dialogue ahead to any extent, the Dawn reports.

The trade talks were part of the composite dialogue that was launched seven years ago for restoring normal relations between the two countries, but had been stalled since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

A Commerce Ministry official said that although Pakistan had no specific agenda for the meeting, it would raise the issue of Indian obstruction to the approval of the European Union trade package at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Indian Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar is heading a six-member delegation that will be assisted by the Indian High Commissioner, the Deputy Head of Mission and the Commercial Consul.

It is learnt that Pakistan will press for an end to the Indian opposition to the EU package, which will be taken up for consideration early next month at the WTO.

Sources said that Pakistan could offer to consider more items of Indian interest in the positive trade list, adding that the Indian delegation is expected to hand over a list of items to the Pakistani side.

Pakistan expanded the positive list in February unilaterally, setting the stage for the full resumption of Indo-Pak trade talks. The items on the positive list- 1,946 goods- can be traded between both countries.

The Indian government has already offered to export electricity and petroleum products to Pakistan. “This offer will be discussed at length at the meeting,” an official said.

The Indian delegation may raise the issue of Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) status with Pakistan’s top tax officials. India accorded the MFN status to Pakistan in 1996. (ANI)