LAHORE: Peace is only possible in the region when Saarc countries’ leadership shows political maturity and promotes mutual trade and relations among member states, said Minister of Commerce Khurram Dastagir on Friday.

He was speaking to reporters after the inauguration of 12th Saarc Trade Fair and 9th WEXNET at Expo Centre.
“Pakistan’s leadership has given a positive response to maintaining peace and promoting trade activities in the South Asian region and it expects others, especially India, to reciprocate in the same manner.”

He said a conference involving regional peace and prosperity was taking place in Afghanistan next week. “Pakistan would welcome role of other regional countries as peace in Afghanistan was a major priority.”

He said Pakistan wanted good relations on equal footing with India, adding that South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) countries needed to establish trade blocs.

“Although relations between Pakistan and India are tense but we shall continue efforts to maintain peace and prosperity on basis of equality, integrity and independence. Pakistan has always proved to be a matured state and is now awaiting India’s reply,” he noted.

To a question, Dastagir said he was unable to speak about visa problems between Pakistan and India as the ministries of interior and foreign affairs were responsible for issuing visas.

He said the Indian government could better tell the reason why foreign minister Sushma Swaraj was not coming to Pakistan. He hoped she would attend the upcoming Saarc Exhibition.

Responding to another question, the minister said Afghanistan and Maldives did not participate in the trade fair owing to many reasons.

Speaking on the occasion, Saarc Secretary General Arjun Bahadur Thapa said they had been waiting for the last three years to participate in Saarc trade fair. He thanked all international trade bodies and chambers for the purpose. He bemoaned that mutual trade volume among Saarc countries was only five per cent of their total trade which was very less and needed to be enhanced.

This year, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan combined the Saarc fair and WEXNET. Around 350 stalls from Pakistan, 24 from India, 12 from Sri Lanka, six from Bangladesh, three from Nepal and one from Bhutan attracted good number of people.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2015