BJP welcomes Govt move to improve trade with Pak

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Welcoming the Indian government
initiative to improve trade ties with Pakistan, Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) Thursday said an environment of peace, free
from terror and insurgency is needed for strengthening the
bilateral relations.
Sharing a dais with visiting Pakistani Commerce
Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim at an Assocham function here, BJP
leader Arun Jaitley hoped that such initiatives would increase
trade between the two countries and help better mutual
understanding.
"I am extremely glad that Government in both nations have
taken this initiative. Our Commerce secretaries met in
April and they decided that this trade which is inadequate
needs to be expanded," said leader of Opposition in the
Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament).
He said, "I am glad that there has been a joint
communique between the Commerce ministers of two countries,
our officials have met and there will be another meeting in
November."
However, he said for trade to grow,"you need to have an
environment of peace. You need an environment which is free
from terror or any kind of insurgency."
After the commerce ministers' talks, India and Pakistan
agreed to more than double their trade to USD six billion in
three years from the present level of USD 2.7 billion.
Jaitley said the potential could not be tapped because of
several "overwhelming" factors which led to a situation where
India-Pakistan trade via third country is more than the
official commerce.
Jaitley, who was Commerce Minister during the National
Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime, said there was a need for
policy reforms in both the countries to help their
entrepreneurs grow and create better economic environment.
"I am sure this visit (of Fahim) turns a success," he
said.
Earlier, people in both the countries suffered due to the
inadequacies of trade, the BJP leader said.
"This regime now has to be altered," he said, adding the
land customs at the Wagah border have strengthened and would
further improve. He said with improvement in land trade,
market forces would dictate the commerce.
Jaitley said it is a hard reality that several factors
have interrupted the trade between the two neighbours.
"We do trade but in the midst of several barriers today,"
he said. However,the situation has undergone a change as there
is "a great sense of entrepreneurship developing in our
societies".
He said like Europe and the US, people in the developing
nations are also entitled to enjoy the fruits of development.
Jaitley said while several regional trade agreements in
the world have been signed, a similar situation does not exist
between India and Pakistan.
"We are conscious about reality. But, there seems to be a
new mindset that is emerging. That is a path of having
confidence-building measures," he said.