Pakistani traders want to boost trade with India
February 6th, 2011 - 1:38 pm ICT by IANS
Islamabad, Feb 6 (IANS) Even as their foreign secretaries meet at Thimphu, Pakistani traders have urged the governments of Indian and Pakistan to boost economic activities to fight poverty and unemployment across the border.While celebrating Kashmir solidarity day Saturday, Pakistani traders expressed concern that differences between the two neighbours are pulling them backwards, Aaj TV reported.
“It is the only instance in the world where trade is allowed but only for two days in a week,” Zulfiqar Abbasi of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce in Muzaffarabad was quoted as saying.
The differences have resulted in poverty and unemployment in the valley on both sides “and we certainly need to go beyond that”, he said.
The traders also suggested expansion of list of items currently being traded between the two countries through the Line of Control (Loc) in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mirza Ikhtiyar Baig, the adviser to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and a leading industrialist, said: “There is certainly a need to expand the list of items in which trade is allowed through the LoC.”
“We know that there is unexploited potential and are looking into possibilities in this regard”, he added.
Trade in 21 agreed items, including Kashmiri embroidery, dry and fresh fruits and wooden furniture, opened along the LoC Oct 21, 2008 as part of confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan.
The current volume of trade across the LoC stands at around Rs.2 billion (over $23 milion) annually.
- Pakistani traders want more trade with India - Feb 05, 2011
- Home secretary reviews cross-LOC trade at Poonch - May 17, 2012
- High hopes in Kashmir as India meets Pakistan - Jul 24, 2011
- 'LoC route being misused by big India, Pakistani traders' - Oct 21, 2010
- Cross-LoC trade needs financial mechanisms: Omar - Apr 04, 2012
- Cross LoC trade hampered by barter system, lack of banking (With Image) - Mar 01, 2012
- India, Pakistan foreign ministers begin talks - Jul 27, 2011
- Kashmiri traders want more of India-Pakistan trade - Jul 28, 2011
- Union home secretary in Kashmir, meets Omar - May 16, 2012
- First joint trade chamber for divided Kashmir chooses chief - Feb 09, 2012
- New cross-LoC CBMs on anvil; 26/11, Fai to figure in India-Pakistan talks (Second Lead) - Jul 24, 2011
- India, Pakistan to ease cross-Kashmir trade, travel (Lead) - Jul 23, 2011
- Cross-Kashmir trade mired in problems - Dec 04, 2011
- India, Pakistan foreign secretaries to hold talks Tuesday - Jul 25, 2011
- Kashmiris threaten to suspend border trade with Pakistan - Jan 19, 2010
Tags: abbasi, confidence building measures between india and pakistan, economic activities, embroidery, fresh fruits, gilani, india and pakistan, industrialist, islamabad, jammu and kashmir, kashmir, milion, muzaffarabad, neighbours, raza, rs 2, secretaries, solidarity, wooden furniture, yousuf