LAHORE: Strains in the relationship between Pakistan and India since last year have not hurt bilateral trade, Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir said on Friday, “as both countries have shown maturity”.

“Trade is continuing through Karachi, Wagah and the Line of Control,” he told reporters after inaugurating three-day ‘Pakistan Mega Leather Show 2015’ at the Expo Centre.

The commerce ministry was in contact with Afghanistan and Central Asian states to improve economic relations and transit trade, he said, adding that recent agreements with Afghanistan and Tajikistan were evident of the fact.

Earlier, speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Dastagir said the first-ever leather show in Lahore and the recently concluded Expo Pakistan in Karachi showed that the country “has come out of political unrest”.

He said the leather show — organised by the Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) and Pakistan Footwear Manufacturers Association — would help exporters to establish relationship with international partners and explore new business avenues. An 11 per cent increase in the export of leather and its products in 2013-14 compared to 2012-13 spoke of the enormous potential of the sector, he said.

He said Pakistan Export Development Fund had approved Rs890 million for the leather sector.

On the occasion, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Chairman S.M. Muneer drew the minister’s attention to the pending ST refunds claims worth Rs110 billion of exporters.

The government, he said, could not achieve the export target of $50bn by 2018-19 unless exporters were facilitated. He said the TDAP could enhance the country’s exports by up to $5bn if the government made entire payment of refunds.

Around 250 Pakistani companies are displaying their products at 300 stalls, according to the organisers. Businessmen from Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Africa, Taiwan and Japan are also attending.

Published in Dawn March 7th , 2015

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