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| July 10, 2003 | Thursday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 9,1424 |
Pakistani traders visit Taj Mahal
AGRA, July 9: A Pakistani trade group on a weeklong visit to India toured on Wednesday the country’s most famous monument, the Taj Mahal, and urged more relaxed travel rules to boost business between the the two countries.
Around three dozen Pakistani businesspeople voiced delight at seeing the massive marble mausoleum in Agra, built in the 17th century under the Moghul dynasty.
But Abdul Shakur, the leader of the trade delegation, lamented that the Pakistani traders were allowed only to visit four Indian cities: New Delhi, Agra, the business hub Bombay and the western Muslim pilgrimage center Ajmer.
“In fact we wanted to go to many places,” Mr Shakur said. “There is a need to revive faith in each other and then there wouldn’t even be any need for
a status of Most Favored Nation.”
India and Pakistan, despite more than 2,900 kilometers of border and a similar language, conduct only $200 million in trade each year.
Even the terms of trade are highly charged. India insists Pakistan should reciprocate and give it Most Favored Nation trading status, while Pakistan has been linked such commercial rights with a resolution to Kashmir and other bilateral disputes.
Mr Shakur called for the opening of more border crossings.
The only legal border post is at Wagah, roughly half-way between Lahore and Amritsar.
Bus service between Lahore and New Delhi through Wagah is due to resume on Friday after an 18-month hiatus following a military standoff between the two countries last year.
“Sanctions imposed on trade relations between the two countries should be lifted,” Mr Shakur said.
“Basically we are one, and in a changing world scenario we should join hands in the larger interest of both nations, as we have similar economic constraints.”—AFP
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