India-Pakistan bilateral trade can increase to $8 billion per annum

BANGALORE: Opening up of the integrated checkpost at Attari-Wagah border and Pakistan's granting Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India can increase bilateral trade to USD eight billion a year in the next two years from the current level of USD 2.6 billion, according to a study released today by industry chamber ASSOCHAM.

Islamabad has committed to bury the negative list of 1,209 items by the end of this year and move to a regime that is in line with WTO rules.

"This is a very welcome step towards reduction of barriers to bilateral trade," said The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) in a study 'The Potential of Indo-Pak Economic Engagement in Post-MFN Scenario.'

"The decision to move towards a negative list approach will go a long way in saving time and costs incurred by third country trade route that encompasses in almost 20,000 items, which could otherwise follow the bilateral route," said ASSOCHAM president Rajkumar Dhoot while releasing the study.

Nearly 6,000 items can now be imported into Pakistan from India as against less than 2,000 items earlier. India granted MFN status to Pakistan in 1996 but Islamabad agreed to a time-frame of granting the MFN status to India during commerce minister Anand Sharma's visit in February.

The two countries will soon open up an integrated check post at Attari-Wagah border - which will raise the number of trucks crossing the border to about 600 from the current 150 - and ease visa rules for business travel. The issues figured in talks between prime minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari on April eight.