Trade between India and Pakistan would
prove beneficial for both the countries, said Minister for Commerce and
Textile Industry Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan at the 16th Sustainable
Development Conference, organized by the Sustainable Development Policy
Institute (SDPI) and CUTS International in Islamabad.

 

The Minister advocated the need for closer trade links in various
sectors, including textiles, with the neighboring country, asserting
that even a 10 percent share in Indian market would boost the local
economy.

 

Mr. Dastgir Khan said there needs to be
established a non-discriminatory access to both the countries’
economies, stating that trade between the countries will create
inter-dependency which would ultimately lead to peace.

 

However, the Textiles Minister expressed concern over the fact that
several stakeholders in the country were not in favor of the
liberalizing trade regime with India.

 

At the
conference, CUTS International secretary general Pradeep S. Mehta said
bilateral trade between the two countries was currently far below from
where it ideally should be, stressing that there are ample evidences to
suggest underutilization of trade opportunities that exist between India
and Pakistan.

 

The three-day conference brought
together policy and practice communities from all over the world to
interact and recommend interventions and present workable solutions to
emerging challenges in the various economic activities in South Asia.