ISLAMABAD, May 8: The Saarc Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) is considering a proposal to take a delegation of its member countries to meet the prime ministers of India and Pakistan to apprise them that businessmen will provide an all-out support to normalise relations between the two arch rivals.
“We, the business community, will provide an all-out support to any initiative which could improve relations between the two neighbours and strengthen regional economies for a better Saarc,” said SCCI President Padma Jyoti in a statement released here on Thursday.
Mr Jyoti appreciated Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali’s invitation to his Indian counterpart Atal Behari Vajpayee to visit Islamabad; offer of full diplomatic ties; inclusion of 78 items in bilateral trade and a request to the Saarc Secretariat to convene a Saarc summit in Islamabad well before the year end.
“We believe that the political leadership of India will give a matching response to this friendly gesture made by Pakistan,” he said.
He urged Pakistan to give India the MFN (most favoured nation) status without any further delay, to reap the benefits of trade and economic cooperation.
Mr Jyoti urged the governments of Saarc countries to take advantage of this situation showing a strong political will, take pro-active steps to hold summit-level talks on trade and sign SAFTA treaty to show the world that Saarc meant business.
