India to ease visa policy for businessmen

[LahoreEstate]

ISLAMABAD: The Indian High Commission in Islamabad will facilitate Pakistan businessmen to promote bilateral trade relations and relaxations will be given in terms of visa policy, said a High Commission official on Monday.



India is the second largest trade market after China in the region, and the High Commission will fully cooperate with the Pakistani business community to further promote bilateral trade relations, the Indian Commercial Counsellor, Rajinder Kumar Sharma, told a delegation of Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI).



Mr Sharma said the promotion of bilateral trade relations could play a vital role to flourish mutual political relations too.



Elaborating the relaxations in visa policy, RCCI President Kashif Shabbir told Dawn that there would be no rejection of visa application by any businessman after authenticated and recommended by the RCCI and the processing would be quick.



At the same, businessmen visiting India would not be required for police reporting, Mr Kashif explained.



The Indian Commercial Counsellor informed the delegation that Pakistani cloth, pharmaceutical products and chemicals were in high demand in India owning to its quality and this reflected the potential of expanding market for Pakistani products.



The RCCI president told the Indian diplomat that the Pakistani traders were aspirant to have a proper access to the Indian markets that would increase the volume of bilateral trade.



He explained that major Pakistani exports to India were sugarcane, fruits, vegetables, cotton, chemical, cloth and yarn, while imports from India include rubber and plastic material. This level of trade between the two countries was insufficient and needed to be expanded, he stressed.



Meanwhile, a seven-member RCCI delegation would pay a weeklong visit to India from December 2 to explore markets for Pakistan products and import of Indian products.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn...en--il--06