ISLAMABAD, April 9: India is likely to raise the issue of preferential trade arrangement (PTA) with Pakistan during the upcoming visit of President Pervez Musharraf to New Delhi.

Well-placed sources told Dawn on Saturday that India had already offered to start negotiations on the PTA with Pakistan in a meeting of senior officials of the two countries. The offer came from New Delhi following a request of Pakistan seeking preferential access to the Indian market to increase its exports.

According to the sources, the president’s secretariat has directed the commerce minister to postpone his scheduled visit to head an envoy conference in Latin America and joined the entourage of president to India scheduled for April 16-18. “This showed that the Indian government may raise the issue preferential treaty with Pakistan during president’s meetings with the Indian prime minister and the president.”

The sources said the two countries had already constituted sub-groups for removing all tariff and non-tariff barriers so that both the countries derived equal benefits from liberalization of trade.

The three sub-groups constituted recently on customs cooperation, trade facilitation and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) would soon submit their reports, which would be considered in the next meeting of commerce secretaries of the two countries.

Pakistan could ensure at preferential tariff a greater market access under the PTA with India for its exports of products mainly included cotton yarn, fabrics, towels, leather products, surgical goods, sports goods, fruits, vegetables and pulses.

The Indians on the other hand were eying to explore markets at concessional duty rates for its products in Pakistan.