‘India, Pakistan should behave like normal trading partners’
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PESHAWAR: Indian High Commissioner Dr T.C.A. Raghavan has said New Delhi and Islamabad should behave like normal trading partners as peace and security in Pakistan was important for economic growth of both Pakistan and India alike.
He said this while talking to business community during a visit to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Wednesday.
Mr Raghavan dispelled the impression that enhanced trade with India would result in Indian goods flooding Pakistani markets and thus, rendering local traders out of business.
In a statement issued here, the Indian High Commission said the envoy was on a two days visit to Peshawar, where he had a wide-ranging interaction, including meeting with provincial Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan, Senators and business community.
The statement said the Indian High Commission had been following a liberalised business visa policy, with provision to issue long-term multiple-entry visa to the businessmen involved in trade with India on a regular basis.
It said its efforts were also focused on implementing the road map agreed upon by the two countries in September 2012 for bilateral trade promotion. In this regard, the grant of MFN status by Pakistan to India was awaited.
The high commissioner said trade through Wagha-Attari needed to be expanded with improvement in ease of doing business by various essential steps such as streamlining of customs procedures, harmonising standards, and improving testing and quarantine facilities.
He said extension of working hours at the border facility in question enhanced staffing and laying facility at Zero Point for B-2-B interactions without requirement for visa were also under active consideration by both sides.
“With a view to promote trade from Afghanistan, the Indian government has announced allowing Afghan trucks to go beyond Wagha to Attari early this year,” he said.
Mr Raghavan said 138 items, which Pakistani trucks could bring from Attari to Pakistan, could also be extended to Afghan trucks.
He said he believed that there was a clause of ‘National Treatment’ under APTTA granting all services and privileges to Afghan truck carriers also.
Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2015
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Comments (44) Closed
Apr 23, 2015 07:32am
For the minuscule amount of business that India gets from Pakistan?
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Apr 23, 2015 07:41am
what is an indian doing in Peshawar?
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Apr 23, 2015 08:03am
how will Pakistan progress until coming peace with neighbors?
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Apr 23, 2015 08:44am
But relationship between two countries is anything but normal.
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Apr 23, 2015 08:46am
When we have a FTA agreement with China and our products are successfully competing against Chinese , what can poor Indian commodities do.
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Apr 23, 2015 09:10am
The onus of responsibility is on Modi government to make the relationship normal by solving all the outstanding issues including Kashmir. The word of mouth by Indian High commission is not good enough to make the trading relations normal as there has to be concrete steps by the both countries to improve and normalize the relations.
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Apr 23, 2015 09:23am
Pakistan can gain a lot as India is far ahead in technology that is most appropriate to Pakistan. The experience in infra development India offers is invaluable.
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Apr 23, 2015 09:30am
Yes, that will surely increase Indo- Pak investments from the present Rs. 200 to Rs. 500. Why cant India focus more on real business partners like the US, China, and EU?
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Apr 23, 2015 09:30am
Healthy competition in goods and services is always helpful as it bring down the cost and also stimulates local companies to enhance quality of their products. At the end if a common man life improve then all is well....even today lots of Indian products are available in Pakistan but these are being provided through different routs like, Dubai, Thailand or Singapore.
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Apr 23, 2015 10:10am
Normalize neighborhood relations. Solve all out standing disputes than we can be normal trade partners. There is no one way partner ship.
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Apr 23, 2015 10:12am
Pak should keep religion out when it comes to business and other aspects of dealing with India. Then only can there be meaningful exchange bw India and Pakistan
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Apr 23, 2015 10:34am
I support Indo-Pak trade,If Indo-China trade is possible why not India-Pakistan?
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Apr 23, 2015 10:42am
If Pakistan and India had 100 billion $ bilateral trade like China and India, it would have provided better security and eliminated the risk of war for both the countries, specially Pakistan. Way more than the nuclear bombs.
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Apr 23, 2015 10:56am
Very true and to do that India should start behaving normally in Kashmir, because if India don't let Kashmiris decide their fate we all know there isn't gonna be peace between Pakistan and India doesn't matter how much concessions Pakistan gives to India.
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Apr 23, 2015 11:05am
@zak hehehe....chinese products are very good? Dude...chinese products are famous for being lame....and plus I dont get it, I mean china is not your country, pakistan is..the way u guys celebrate their successes and not care abt being one yourself os mindboggling...even north korea behaves more classy
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Apr 23, 2015 11:06am
But what happens to Kashmir? It is the opium sold by the establishment for its masses.
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Apr 23, 2015 11:11am
@Zak Your products can only compete with that of Chinese...thats the quality yours is...
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Apr 23, 2015 11:42am
Honestly speaking living here in neutral country let me say both Do not know how to Behave :)
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Apr 23, 2015 11:43am
The issue of flooding Indian goods raised by Pakistan shows the sorrow state of Pakistan. If as a consumer, Pakistanis can get better goods at cheaper rates, protective buissuiness strategy can only make Pakistanis industries more incompetent. Good examples would be indies car markets till 90's - maruti or ambassador never changed there models but once the markets opened they were forced to compete resulting in more models and higher standards!
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Apr 23, 2015 11:45am
@Truth I wont agree here Pakistani Products have best quality compare to China and India even. Markets are full of Indian food stuff but Pakistani food have quality plus taste.
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Apr 23, 2015 11:47am
Zak@..........Trade means worthwhile business to both the partners and increases
volume of production,employment,income and surely better relations in due course.
However, thinking as you display is unhelpful and difficult to guess if and when
there would be a positive shift.Any way no hurry and no compulsion.
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Apr 23, 2015 11:47am
@Zak - if you are so happy with "Made in China" quality that might be superior to "Made in Pakistan", then you're right Indian products / commodities have no place. But ask those thousands who buy those Indian goods everyday imported from Dubai in Pakistan paying a premium, they will answer your question.
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Apr 23, 2015 12:38pm
@Truth well said...!! he knew only to say against india...!! apart from that he doesn't know anything...!!
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Apr 23, 2015 12:45pm
India should focus more on US, China, EU for trade. What has Pakistan got to offer? It's GDP is lower than even Fiji
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Apr 23, 2015 12:45pm
It is the business of a HC (Ambassador) to meet important people in her/his country of residence and keep the home Govt. informed of their views and thinking. As for the Indo-Pak trade; a NEW "Suraj" is on the horizon. Its name is CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor). Once its first parts are complete, Indo-Pak trade will increase. Anti-Indian Pakistanis cannot stop it. Why? CPEC will be defended initially by 10,000 Pak soldiers trained and equipped by China. Later more! The initial phase will pass through Pak Kashmir and Pak Punjab. China will push Pakistan to open trade with J&K and through the Wagha border; Pak will have no choice. Any one talking about the CPEC passing through KP needs to understand that it does not border India. Therefore, currently, China has no interest in it. Her interest is in the ETIM terrorists in FATA and Pakistan will be told to "do more".
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Apr 23, 2015 01:26pm
Despite border dispute , China is a bigger exporter to India & Chinese companies are having flourishing business , so why not Pakistan.India has accredited M F N status .
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Apr 23, 2015 01:33pm
@Tranquil if pakistani goods are good in taste and quality why they are not even allowed in gulf countries forgot about european countries.
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Apr 23, 2015 01:40pm
If anything flows in from Pakistan to India, it will be terrorism. Opening the trade route is not worth the danger it poses.
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Apr 23, 2015 01:47pm
Pakistan would get 125 billion consumer to sell their home craft . India will get Peace , so India can save money form buying weapons ( cost billions) and can use money for space, education, remove little poverty left in India. Win win situation for both.
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Apr 23, 2015 01:57pm
In US, UK and Middle East most of the food product indian,pakistani,bangldeshi.nepali etc people buy from desi owned stores is Pakistani brand product such as national and shan the two big names in Pakistan. Pakistani food is the best in whole south asia as most people will agree. I have tried indian,bangldeshi even nepali food it never comes close to pakistani food. we are blessed with it
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Apr 23, 2015 02:13pm
@Zak Why you always insult Pakistan indirectly, Pak shouldn't compete with Chinese (Chines means cheep and low quality) it should compete with US, Japan, EU and Indian products.
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Apr 23, 2015 02:31pm
How can India Pakistan trade when they cant get along?
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Apr 23, 2015 04:36pm
@Blue Saffron - Well "get along" then!
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Apr 23, 2015 06:10pm
Nothing can ever be called normal between the two nations.
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Apr 23, 2015 06:57pm
@Blue Saffron
China and Japan can then why not India and PK?
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Apr 23, 2015 07:27pm
@Tranquil
I beg to disagree. When the neighbor of your neutral country tries to destabilize your country using fake notes and terrorists among other things, then tell me what would be an appropriate for that situation.
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Apr 23, 2015 11:26pm
India is keen about trade and ready to relax visa conditions for traders from Pakistan but is turning blind eye towards humanitarian conditions of divided families who want to visit their relations in India. Although there has not been single case of terrorism or security incident by a Pakistani visiting his relations in India very tough conditions are imposed on visa applicants. Even after compliance with these conditions most of the applicants are not granted visa.No regard even for very old persons.
Pakistani girls married to Indian boys are not given Indian citizenship for decades. There are cases where citizenship is not given for twenty years. This is another face of India.
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Apr 24, 2015 02:39am
Sir, it appears to be drama. Neither the Indian have any courage to give any thing to Pakistan. Nawaz wants to have his own booming trade with India, but no body was listening to Indians.
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Apr 24, 2015 09:12am
sir my kind request, we see ptv by you tube and wts up etc in which we come to know that after modiji come in power he made good relation with all world majority develop countries and in his leadership they all interested in indian foreign policy and started investing in india. even china praised modiji their news papers too. ptv compare dvelopment of india and pakistan after independence. no need to say more we are happy to see what we achieve, bcos till date we were not knowing. hope all people will see ptv and think how it is possible. a wise matured leaders can change the picture of countries. modili slogan sabka saath subka vikas. chalo saath saath. lets works and walk togather.
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Apr 24, 2015 11:12am
@Jawad While I am sure Pakistani food is good you would have been able to check out some very limited varieties of Indian food abroad which could include some Punjabi or South Indian food. Indian food is extremely diverse Punjabi food differs from Rajasthani, Awadhi or Gujarati. Within Maharashtra you have two to three different varieties of cuisine and the same goes for Andhra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The variety here is mind boggling and you get seriously good Indian food only in India.
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Apr 24, 2015 11:17am
@Blue Saffron India and China don't get along but still trade.
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Apr 25, 2015 12:27am
There is no statement or word from the prime minister of Pakistan that spells mutual peace and friendship with India.Some sort of agreement has to be reached with India for the normalization of relationship and that will entail flow of goods from and to both the countries.India was quick to grant MFN status to Pakistan a long time ago but Pakistan has not done so for India despite useless statements form the Pakistani leaders from time to time.I feel if Chinese goods can invade Pakistani markets why Indian goods can not make a measured entry despite their superior quality and ,perhaps, suitable to the pockets prices as compared to the Chinese ones.
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Apr 25, 2015 08:51am
@ZAK. When a man becomes satisfied with whats going on around him, will be the day he ll stop growing.
Pakistan products are joke in terms of global market. Indians and Chinese always have tendency to improve the existing ecosystem.Even though we are far away from India in terms of technology, they are never satisfied with their existing tech. That's why they are so rapidly developing.
I am glad majority of people don't think like you.
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Apr 25, 2015 08:52am
Bilateral Relation b/w India and Pak. is more essential for Pakistan.
India has many (many-many-many) other partners, but Pakistan has only handful of trustworthy partners.
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