Amritsar, December 1
Visa restrictions today failed to eclipse the four-day first ever Indo-Pak International Expo - 2005 even as it generated enthusiasm among local entrepreneurs, corporate houses besides general public. However, the Pakistani business tycoons rued that ‘Police reporting visas’ given to them were very unfortunate.
Out of total 45, only 19 Pakistani exhibitors were given visas this time. However, the stalls put up by Pakistani businessmen attracted crowd. It is first ever in India that goods made in India and Pakistan were exhibited jointly.
Mr Tariq Aziz, Chairman, Trade Fair Authority of G-77 Chamber of Commerce, Pakistan, said that he was disillusioned with poor infrastructure in the holy city and pleaded with Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, to provide adequate financial assistance to upgrade existent infrastructure to make it an international city.
However, Amritsaris sorely missed the stalls displaying famous ‘Kasuri’, ‘Tilewali’ and ‘Pishouri Juti’, ‘Pathani salwar kameez’ and food stalls by Pakistanis.
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minster Amarinder Singh inaugurated the first Indo-Pak International Expo 2005 — common business show of India and Pakistan organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI). Presiding over the inaugural session of the four-day Expo-2005, Capt Amarinder Singh said ongoing people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan to foster long-lasting peace, goodwill, mutual trust and harmony was all pervasive and bound to remove artificial barriers as the language of love and amity did not recognise such obstacles in the journey of friendship.
He described the joint exhibition as a small step towards larger potential. He stressed on the need for cultural exchange programmes because both Indian and Pakistan’s Punjab shared common language, culture and social values. He also informed that the Government of India had given its nod for signing of MoU between Agricultural University, Faisalabad, and Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, to undertake research and reference on scientific lines.
He said that trade and commerce between the two courtiers had certainly got boost in the recent past but lot was still to be done to exploit untapped potential of trade at the optimum level. Regarding complaints of lack of visas to members of Pakistani industrial delegation, he assured the delegates soon he would meet the Prime Minister to take up the matter to simplify visa procedure. He appealed to Punjabis to contribute generously for earthquake affected in Pakistan.
Mr Zahirudin, Minister for Works and Commerce Pakistan, Punjab, was guest of honour on this occasion.
Capt Amarinder Singh inaugurated the Expo-2005 and went took around various stalls of Indian and Pakistani industrial products and released two booklets IPEX an Exhibitor Catalogue and Amritsar city guide.
