India moves to improve trade with Pakistan

Checkpost to be set up that will be operational from April.

ISLAMABAD:

In a bid to improve trade with Pakistan, which is valued at $50 million annually, India is establishing a checkpost on the Wagha border.

A Pakistani delegation will leave for Attari, India, in the coming days to meet Indian authorities on March 25 to chalk out a strategy for construction of infrastructure along border areas to facilitate traders.

According to a senior official of the Ministry of Interior, the checkpost will become operational from April. “It will be built on no man’s land at the Wagha border to boost trade between the two countries,” he informed.

Representatives of both countries will also discuss deployment of soldiers on the checkpost as well as increasing the strength of the currently deployed forces on various checkposts, said the official.

Observers believe that the establishment of a new integrated checkpost appears to be a major move from the Indian side in its bid to export goods to Afghanistan via Pakistan.

Pakistan and Afghanistan signed a historic memorandum of understanding (MoU) in 2009, which allowed Kabul to export its goods to India via Pakistan. However, Pakistan has not yet allowed its territory to be used for export of Indian goods to Afghanistan.

India will spend up to Rs2 billion on the checkpost due to its importance to Indian traders and businessmen. Officials expressed hope that establishment of the integrated checkpost will lead to promotion of trade and business between Pakistan and India.

At the meeting, which is to be attended by seven officials from various ministries, the delegation will request Delhi to remove non-tariff barriers to facilitate Pakistani businessmen who wish to export goods to Indian cities.

Currently, Pakistan imports products such as fruits, vegetables, cotton and maize from India, but is unable to export high quantities due to presence of non-tariff barriers.

According to officials, India, which exported goods worth Rs15 billion to Pakistan in the last two years, is interested in establishing more checkposts to facilitate traders of both countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2011.