ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Federal Commerce Minister, Humayun Akhtar Khan on Tuesday expressed Pakistan's concern that after abolition of textile quota by end of the current year , Islamabad would be at a competitive disadvantage because of the large number of special trading arrangements by the United States with various countries.

The minister stated this in a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of Commerce, William H. Lash here on Tuesday. The US ambassador to Pakistan, Ms Nancy Powell and Pakistan's secretary commerce, Tasneem Noorani also attended the meeting.

"Pakistan is more interested in market access than aid from the US," Mr. Khan said. The minister also demanded a relaxation in travel advisory from the US. He also raised the issue of registration of Pakistanis entering the US at the airport and the procedures involved, which according to him was a hurdle faced by the business community.

The US assistant secretary assured that his government would look into all these matters and take necessary measures to address them. Mr Lash said that they were looking forward to the Trade and Investment Facilitation Agreement (TIFA) meeting in September this year and suggested that big Pakistani companies would also attend the meeting and have interaction with congressmen to pave way for investment in Pakistan. He also appreciated the role of Pakistan in WTO negotiations.

Mr. Lash appreciated Pakistan's role in fighting against terrorism and recognized its importance as a close ally. He said that US gave much importance to its relations with Pakistan.

However, he showed his concern over the Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) issues in Pakistan. He also raised the issue of protection of Intellectual Property Rights regarding US pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan.

Responding to this, Humayun Akhtar apprised the US envoy that Pakistan was mindful of its responsibilities in IPRs area and despite capacity constraints, was taking various steps to tackle this problem.

The most important step in this regard was a government decision to set up specialized agency in the form of Pakistan Intellectual Property Rights Organization (PIPRO). Mr. Khan underlined that the warm political relations between the two countries had not seen corresponding progress on the commercial dimension.