September 23, 2008	Tuesday	Ramazan 22, 1429

NEW DELHI, Sept 22: India and Pakistan agreed on arrangements to open a border route for bilateral trade in Kashmir, a joint panel said on Monday.

“We have finalised the arrangement, the trade list and the modalities,” Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, a senior foreign ministry official leading a Pakistani delegation, said in New Delhi.“We will go back to our respective governments, it is for them to decide,” he said after talks with Indian officials.

A joint working group comprising senior government officials from both countries held talks on starting border trade in Kashmir following unrest in Indian occupied Kashmir over a planned government land transfer to Hindu pilgrims.

Last month, Hindus in the region cut off supplies to the mountainous Kashmir area after the government backed out of its promise to transfer land to build shelters for Hindu pilgrims.

The dispute polarised the valley, severely curbing trade between the two areas.

As a result, traders in occupied Kashmir wanted to sell their goods in neighbouring Pakistan and asked the government to talk to its neighbour.

About 37 protesters have been killed by government forces during demonstrations in the valley since last month.

On Monday, the joint panel said they were happy to open the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway to trade, but did not spell out details.

Officials said bilateral trade would help improve relations between the two countries. —Reuters