India has called for transparency in the disbursement of multiple entry visas made by both the countries.

India-Pakistan bilateral trade is in the upswing and has touched the level of $2.6 billion with India’s exports accounting for around $2.1 billion and Pakistan’s exports about $500 million odd. If the trade through unofficial channels and through third country exports are taken into account then the quantum of bilateral trade between the two countries will be over $7 billion per annum.

Businessmen on both sides apprehend that this rising trend in bilateral trade may come to a halt due to the exchange of fire across the border. They want all the unofficial trade and that routed through a third country be brought under official bilateral trade with easy provisions.

A strong delegation from the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) is on a visit to India at the invitation of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Addressing a roundtable on – India-Pakistan Economic Relations : The Next Milestone – hosted by FICCI here on Friday, the FPCCI President Zubair Ahmed Malik made a strong plea for accordance of MFN status to India by Pakistan.

India had accorded MFN status to Pakistan over a decade ago.

Referring to political leaders on both sides, Malik said : “you do politics we are not bothered. But allow trade to go on its way.”

He said that bilateral trade has marked an improvement with Pakistan’s trade policy towards India switching over from “positive list” for imports to the “negative list.” The negative lists on both sides need to be pruned. Pakistan still have 1209 items on its negative list and India has about 600 items on its negative list.

The FPCCI Vice President Gulzar Firoz also made a strong plea for MFN status to India.

The President of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Vikramjit Singh Sahney said : “the success of South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) hinges on India and Pakistan working closely with each other.”

He informed that FICCI, in association with the SCCI, will be organizing the 5th SAARC Business Leaders Conclave and Made in SAARC Exhibition. The event will aim at boosting trade, commerce and tourism in South Asia. FICCI will be organizing the second edition of India Show in Lahore in February 14-16, 2014. On similar lines FICCI would support FPCCI in organizing Made in Pakistan Exhibition in India.

The Minister of Trade in the Pakistan High Commission in India Naeem Anwar called for high frequencies of visits at all levels between the two countries. India is Pakistan’s 7th largest trading partner. The roadmap drawn by the commerce secretaries of the two countries, if implemented can give a boost to bilateral trade.

Anwar called for setting up of more trade facilitation points on the border other than the one existing at Wagah-Attari. He said that SAFTA has about 600 items on its negative list and if they are reduced, the intra-South Asia trade can get a boost.

The Joint Secretary in the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Arvind Mehta said that India-Pakistan bilateral trade got a fresh impetus after the April 2011 dialogue between the two countries and as result Pakistan could double its exports in the last three years.

He said that in September 2012 the commerce secretaries of both sides drew up an ambitious roadmap that almost amounts to a free trade agreement. “It is time that India and Pakistan think well beyond SAFTA in trade relations,” he said.

As per the roadmap drawn, some sequential steps need to be taken by both the countries. among which Pakistan needs to facilitate more land route trade with India and India needs to reduce its sensitive lists for imports to 100.