Amritsar, April 12
Pakistan’s Commerce Secretary Zafar Mahmood today attributed his country’s move to restrict import of Indian goods from Attari-Wagah land route to 137 items to “infrastructural constraints”.

Commerce Minister Anand Sharma with Pakistan’s Commerce Secretary Zafar Mahmood in New Delhi on Thursday.

Talking to mediapersons after crossing over from Wagah, Mahmood said, “At present, we feel that there is lack of infrastructure on the road route connecting the two countries. However, the number of items on the list will increase once the infrastructure grows.”

When asked about Pakistan’s failure to come up with a matching infrastructure for trade on its side, he said, “We constructed our check post before India and the kind of response the integrated check-post (ICP) is expected to evoke will ultimately choke facility on both sides and expansion will be needed.” India’s ICP is spread over 118 acres, while that of Pakistan on just 9 acres.

Regarding Pakistan not allowing passenger movement through the new gate and instead opting to continue it from the old one, Mahmood said they had recently added the facility of immigration and customs adjacent to the old gate while their ICP had no such facility.

He also felt that it was more feasible to carry out trade from the new gate while continuing the passenger movement from the old one.

He, however, added, that still the talks were on with the Indian Government over the issue.

Despite initial hiccups, the Pakistan Commerce Minister felt the newly-built ICP at Attari would take the bilateral trade between India and Pakistan via Attari-Wagah land route to new heights. “It will immensely benefit the economies of both countries,” he said.

Later, Mahmood headed for New Delhi, where he would visit the ongoing Pakistan trade exhibition at Pragati Maidan.

He would also be meeting his Indian counterpart Rahul Khullar during his visit to the Capital.

Trade to boost ties: Burney

Human rights activist from Pakistan Ansar Burney also arrived from Pakistan via the new integrated check-post on Thursday.

He said the improving trade relations between the two countries would have a positive effect on the overall bilateral ties between them.

He said he had taken up the case of Sarabjit Singh and hoped he would be released soon.

The Pakistan human rights activist urged both governments to exchange prisoners who have completed their jail terms. Sarabjit’s family members also met Burney who is here to pay obeisance at the Durgah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.

4-day Pak Exhibition Opens

Visitors take a look at clothes on display at the ‘Lifestyle Pakistan’ exhibition. Tribune photos: Manas Ranjan Bhui

New Delhi: Commerce Minister Anand Sharma on Thursday inaugurated the first ‘Lifestyle Pakistan’ exhibition along with Pakistan Commerce Secretary Zafar Mahmood. The four-day exhibition showcases a wide range of products put on display by more than 100-top-of-the-line exhibitors. These include apparel, home textiles, furniture, leather goods, home accessories, spices, sports goods and marble handicrafts. The exhibition, the first collaborative show put up by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and the India Trade Promotion Organisation, follows a three-day ‘India Show’ held in Lahore in February. — TNS