After negative trade list: Pakistan, India to work on preferential trade deal

Official says India looks prepared to separate trade from politics.

KARACHI: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Chief Executive Tariq Iqbal Puri has said that India and Pakistan are eager to go one step further and after preparing a negative list of trade items replacing the positive list, they will go for a preferential trade agreement.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Puri said India seems to be prepared to keep politics away from trade to improve relations with Pakistan. He said that trade without restrictions and investments across the border were in the interest of both the countries. “One can see the visible policy shift in terms of trade in India,” he said.

He further said that the review of suggestions sent by the stakeholders for compiling the negative list for trade with India will be completed by the end of October. He said that interests of Pakistani industries will be protected at all costs while finalising arrangements for trade and cross-border investment with India.

Puri said that trade secretaries of the two countries would meet in New Delhi on November 15 to review the progress on implementation of the decisions taken in the previous meeting.

He said that breakthrough regarding compilation of the negative list and giving India the status of most favoured nation is expected in this meeting, adding India has already assured Pakistan of removal of hurdles in the way of acquiring visas.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2011.