February 13, 2006	Monday	Muharram 14, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 12: Pakistan has not received any list of 73 items for which Bangladesh wants duty-free access to Pakistani markets.

Commerce ministry officials said they had no information about any list of goods that Bangladesh intended to export to Pakistan without duty to balance the bilateral trade gap, presently hugely in favour of Islamabad.

“A decision can only be made after vetting such a list,” an official said.

He said it could only be done after Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s visit.

Earlier reports suggested that Dhaka would ask for duty-free access of 73 items under nine categories.

Sources, however, said Dhaka was likely to raise the issue during the discussion between the two prime ministers scheduled on Monday, in which both would focus on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, tourism, communications, education and cultural sectors.

“Bangladesh wants to balance the trade between the two countries and for this it will certainly ask for some relaxations and ratification of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement,” an official said.

During 2005-6, Pakistan has exported goods worth $138.63 million to Bangladesh, while the goods it imported from Bangladesh are worth $63 million.