Pak gem traders want open border

NEW DELHI: Jewellers and gem traders from across the border have asked the governments of India and Pakistan to open up border to facilitate trade.

"At present, whatever jewellery trade is done between the two countries is via Dubai. As the jewellery market is unorganised and most of them are small jwellers or merchents, a lot of business between the two country is illegal," Gold Art Promotion Council-Pakistan Pakistan President Muhammad Azghar, who is here to attend a jewellery exhibition 'JCK New Delhi 2008', told media.

"We want political establishment of both the countries to open up the borders to facilitate our trade," he added.

Karachi is the main commercial hub of gems and jewellery supplying 60 per cent of the total demand to the other parts of the country.

"The Madras Jewellery is quite popular in our country, but due to the trade restrictions, we are not able to take it our market readily," GAPC General Secretary Syed Masood Ali said, adding Bangles from across the border is equally popular in India.

Pakistan is eager to import Indian machines and buy Indian designs apart from the regular trade in the precious metal. The gold market in India is at USD 13.5 billion at present, slated to reach USD 20 billion by 2010 and jump to USD 23.5 Bn by 2012, said, COO of Reed Exhibitions India, the organiser of the event, Mandeep Singh.

Jewellers and gem traders from Pakistan, along with their counterparts from Dubai and Italy are participating a jewellery exhibition.