November 29, 2008	Saturday	Ziqa'ad 30, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Nov 28: The meeting between commerce secretaries of Pakistan and India expected in the first week of December has been postponed, Dawn has learnt.

However, a senior government official said the move had nothing to do with the blame game following the terrorist attack in Mumbai.

The two sides had indicated a tentative date for holding the meeting under the fifth round of the composite dialogue launched on July 21.

An informed source told Dawn on Friday that the Indian commerce ministry had already conveyed to Pakistan through the foreign office that it would not be possible for Indian Commerce Secretary G.K. Pillai to be available for the meeting.

“We received the message about the postponement much before the Mumbai incident,” the source said.

However, the Indian government hinted at convening the meeting at the end of next month.

The fate of the meeting now hangs in the balance in the wake of the Mumbai attacks as the Indian government has started blaming Pakistan for the tragedy, the source said.

“Another meeting on Sir Creek scheduled for Dec 2 in New Delhi is also likely to be postponed,” the source said.

The expansion in the tradable list between the two countries came against the backdrop of the composite dialogue launched in 2004, the forum which India used for the benefit of its businessmen while no progress has been made on thorny issues like Kashmir and water.

In the 2008-09 trade policy, Pakistan allowed import of more than 136 new items from India.