LAHORE, May 26: Indian businessmen are keen to invest in joint ventures with their Pakistani counterparts if the “security of their investment is guaranteed”. This was stated by leader of Indian delegation Onkar S. Kanwar while speaking to businessmen at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) on Thursday.

The Indians, he said, had already forwarded a proposal in this regard to President General Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan.

He said India had become a big investor around the globe. “But it’s ironic that Indians are investing everywhere in the world but not in Pakistan.” Mr Kanwar assured the businessmen that the “delegation was not here to sell their products, but to build confidence and win your hearts”.

“We want two-way trade, a win-win situation for both sides and that is why we have set up the India-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry for identifying the items that can damage each other’s industry and tariff barriers responsible for preventing growth of bilateral trade,” he said.

He also called for upgrading road, rail, sea and air links for improving trade between the two neighbours and proposed to set up bonded warehouses at the border. He said India had already made a similar arrangement with Bangladesh.