Outgoing Indian envoy’s stint termed remarkable

Businessmen highlight progress made in economic ties.

KARACHI: Probably the toughest assignment for an Indian diplomat is to work as high commissioner to Pakistan. While it is certainly a prized post for diplomats, producing tangible results in Islamabad can be quite difficult because of the deeply-entrenched hostility between the two countries.

But Sharat Sabharwal’s four-year stint in Islamabad as India’s top envoy has been remarkable, according to Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Muhammad Haroon Agar, in the sense that major improvements took place in the realm of economic relations during his time in office.

“There have been at least three rounds of talks at the highest level during his tenure. Moreover, I can’t recall a single instance in the last four years where our businessmen encountered difficulties in obtaining Indian visas,” Agar said. He was speaking at a farewell lunch held on Tuesday by the KCCI to honour the envoy.

Sabharwal arrived in Pakistan as the top Indian diplomat in 2009. He attained superannuation last year, but continued serving until the general elections in Pakistan at the request of India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

Agar also thanked Sabharwal for taking interest in the establishment of the Karachi-Mumbai Joint Chamber of Commerce, saying the application for final approval was now with Pakistan’s commerce ministry.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Board of Investment Chairman Zubair Motiwala praised the outgoing envoy for encouraging Indian energy companies to consider buying coal from Pakistan.

“We’re in talks with an Indian company that’s building a 4,200-megawatt (MW) plant on the Indian side of the border. It is eager to use Thar coal for that plant,” Motiwala said.

He said the Indian company has offered to pay for the coal in the form of electricity. “They’re willing to supply 1,700MW of electricity.”

He added another Indian company is setting up a plant of 1,144MW for which it intends to buy coal from Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2013.

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