LAHORE: Indian Minister for Commerce Anand Sharma is expected to visit Pakistan next week to inaugurate ‘India Show’ and meet his counterpart Khurram Dastagir Khan to discuss ways to enhance trade and investment between the two countries. “The Minister is likely to inaugurate the ‘India Show’ in Lahore and will hold bilateral meeting with Pakistani Commerce Minister Khan in Islamabad. He is expected to be in Pakistan from February 14-16,” an official in the Indian commerce ministry said.
Recently, the two commerce ministers met and both sides agreed on a non-discriminatory market access (NDMA) programme in place of the MFN regime, besides opening up the Wagah-Attari border round-the-clock. Both the leaders also decided to intensify and accelerate the process of trade normalisation, liberalisation and facilitation and to implement the agreed measures before end of February.
During his likely visit, Sharma will be accompanied by DIPP Secretary Saurabh Chandra and Commerce Secretary Rajeev Kher besides other officials from the ministry. “CEOs of few big companies are also expected to visit with the Minister. The names are yet to be finalised,” the official added.
About 100 Indian companies are expected to participate in ‘India Show’ which is to be held for three days from February 14 to 16. It is being organised by Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“This will be the second edition of the show where about 100 companies from sectors like power, textiles and gems and jewellery would showcase their products. About 50 MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) firms would also participate in the show,” an FICCI official said. The bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $2.6 billion in 2012-13. India’s main exports to Pakistan include sugar, man-made filaments and chemicals, while its imports comprise mineral fuels, among others.
