ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: Pakistan has asked Iran to remove hurdles in the movement of its trucks and opening of border markets for bilateral economic benefits.

Official sources told Dawn that commerce minister Abdul Razak Dawood pointed out to the visiting 10-member Iranian delegation led by oil minister Bijan N. Zanganeh that Iran has not so far responded to the Pakistani request seeking toll-free movement of Pakistani trucks.

Mr. Dawood was of the opinion that toll tax free movement of each other trucks in the two countries was the best option of facilitation and easiest way to expedite bilateral trade. The Iranian oil minister assured that he would take up the subject with relevant authorities in Tehran as he was not much in picture on that subject.

Pakistan’s commerce minister also raised the question relating to activating border markets between the two countries to encourage two-way trade and asked the visiting minister to expedite the process.

The minister said Pakistan fully supported the gas pipeline project and hoped that Iran will come up some time later to establish Pak-Iran Oil refinery in Pakistan.

The two sides also discussed issues relating to wheat export to Iran and Pakistani side apprised the delegation that Iranian objections on Pakistani wheat stood resolved lately during a visit of its technical team here last month. The commerce minister told the delegation to expedite purchase of Pakistani wheat.

The commerce minister also pointed out to the delegation that the technical team last month had inspected Pakistani rice and agreed to purchase two million tons but the response to purchase the commodity from Islamabad was still awaited.

The same Iranian technical team later visited the Philippines and there was complete silence on the subject form Iranian side despite the fact that even the Pakistani quality was better and its rates competitive, Razak was quoted as saying by official sources.

The minister suggested to the visiting delegation that in the autoparts sector, the two countries could greatly benefit from each other. He pointed out that some of the autoparts being manufactured in Iran were of better quality than Pakistan’s and vice versa and suggested that Iran should place orders for Pakistani parts that were of high quality and Pakistan will reciprocate on some other parts that were better than its own.

The minister also proposed joint ventures and long-term contracts in autoparts sector between the two countries to improve each others quality.

Pakistani side told that Iran was setting up the world’s largest aromatics plant in Isphahan with a total cost of $10 billion that could meet whole of Pakistani requirement. The project would be completed in two and a half year.

Iran asked Pakistan to place orders for aromatics components from Tehran to meet its requirement.

The two sides also shared views on power potential of big powers and regional politics. The Iranian minister commented that there was a big difference between the power potential and the power of vision and that the Muslim countries should face those power with vision.