KARACHI: We welcome the signing of three trade accords between India and Pakistan and call upon the two governments to not only ensure the strict implementation of these agreements but also to follow it up with some essential steps towards facilitating people-to-people contacts at various other levels.
In the context of the not-so-happy relations between Pakistan and India, the outcome of the just-concluded talks between the commerce ministers of the two countries in Islamabad should be considered a major step in the direction of improving our bilateral relations.
While welcoming the signing of several agreements related to promotion of trade and the promise of a relaxed visa regime for businessmen of the two countries, we suggest the following measures:
1) The visa relaxation facilities that are to be offered now to businessmen, such as exemption from police reporting and removal of city-specific limitations, should be extended to all citizens of the two countries;
2) The cumbersome exercise of asking visa applicants to attach numerous documents should be streamlined;
3) Normal tourist visas should be issued to enable people to visit popular historical and scenic places in the two countries;
4) Students and youth of the two countries should be encouraged to visit each other’s country;
5) Consulates in Karachi and Mumbai should be reopened at the earliest;
6) Newspapers, magazines, books and other publications be should allowed unrestricted movement between the two countries;
7) News channels of the two countries should be freed from the existing restrictions;
8) The Karachi-Mumbai-Karachi sea route should be re-opened for the movement of people and cargo.
Pakistan Peace Coalition
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2012.
