Pakistan businessmen seek easy Indian visas

NEW DELHI: India-Pakistan bilateral trade can touch USD 10 billion in the next three years if issues like non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and visa problems are addressed, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said today.

"Within next two-three years, we can easily enhance trade volume to USD 8-10 billion," LCCI President Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said at a Ficci function here.

During 2010-11, the bilateral trade stood at USD 2.70 billion.

Sheikh, leading a 22-member business delegation is on a six-day visit to India.

He said besides difficulties in getting visas, the Pakistani business persons face other problems. For instance, their mobile phones get jammed as they enter the Indian territory, he said. They need to buy the Indian SIM cards for mobile connectivity, Sheikh said.

Pakistan has been complaining that its products face NTBs in India. New Delhi, on the other hand, has been asking Islamabad to meet its South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) obligations by normalising bilateral trade.

Sheikh said the Indian government should also liberalise its visa regime for Pakistani businessmen. He said there are problems even with a SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) system of visa stickers- a mechanism meant for facilitating visas for the business people.

India and Pakistan have recently been making efforts improve their bilateral trade.

Assuring them of a quick follow-up with the Indian government, Ficci Secretary General Rajiv Kumar said India has no Pakistan-specific trade barriers.