According to newspaper reports, businessmen from Pakistan and India are trying to find grey areas to enhance cooperation in trade and investment and persuade their respective governments to revise their policies towards their immediate neighbour. The Pakistan India Joint Forum, during its first meeting in June 2013, formed at least 10 task forces to look into trade and investment opportunities in various fields, including agriculture, pharmaceutical, automobiles and financial sector. The prominent businessmen from the two countries have decided to meet every six month and discuss issues and make recommendations for close business cooperation between the private sector of the two nations with active involvement of civil society and other stakeholders. The Pakistan India Joint Business Forum was set up by Pakistan and India in 2012 as a roadmap to improve economic relations between the two rival nations.
According to reports, various Pakistani and Indian companies are already cooperating in business and trade for the mutual benefit and without the involvement of the two governments. The businessmen who were looking for opportunities have been included in official teams to work in unison. However, despite efforts of the businessmen to enhance cooperation on individual and collective levels, there are problem areas such as frequent cross border firing between troops of the two countries and hostility on the Kashmir issue. The present Indian government has taken an aggressive stance against Pakistan and it is not ready to enter into peace talks with Pakistan. It is trying its best to tarnish Pakistan’s image as a peace loving nation. The recent diatribe by the Indian Prime Minister will not help ease tension in this region; rather it will fuel more troubles to worsen political relations between the two countries. The Indian leadership should understand that a majority of the world’s poor lives in their country and maintaining an aggressive posture against an immediate neighbor will hinder the wellbeing of their own citizens as funds for the people’s welfare are diverted to defence side.
Experts believe that the two countries can resolve problem of gluts and shortages of yields by cooperating in agriculture sector as the same crop is sowed in different seasons in the two countries whereas across the border trade can be enhanced to billions of dollars by lowering duties and taxes and easing customs procedures. Instead of firing a volley of accusations against Pakistan, India should launch a peace offensive and Pakistan is ever ready to reciprocate in the same manners.
