This was stated by PHDCCI co-chairman R. S. Sachdeva while addressing a joint press conference with the LCCI chief Mian Shafqat Ali here on Monday. The LCCI vice-president Aftab Ahmad Vohra, former LCCI chief Mian Anjum Nisar and Executive Committee members were also present on this occasion.
"It is expected that the chief ministers of Indian and Pakistani Punjab would be inaugurating the exhibition on November 30, 2005.
Sachdeva maintained that the objective of the exhibition was to enhance the interaction between the business communities of the two sides enabling them to benefit from each other's experience.
He said that the exhibition, named IPEX 2005, had been divided into six theme pavilions that include AutoMech, ConsumEx, IndEx, FoodFArmPharma, Info@com and TexStyle. The exhibitors would put a wide-range of products on display. Almost 200 Indian companies were participating in the exhibition while 100 stalls would be given to Pakistani participants. He said that a series of seminars and conferences would also be part of this exhibition besides setting up of 'Indian Food' and 'Pakistani Food' pavilions.
Sachdeva made it clear that only those visitors would be given visas that would be recommended by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). He expressed optimism that the exhibition would be a big success as the venue was just 30 km from Wagah border.
He said that shuttle services would be available from Wagah to the exhibition venue. He also said that visa would be issued for the whole of the province so as to enable the participants to visit any factory or manufacturing facility. He said that they wanted to make IPEX a platform where Indians could see the potential of Pakistan such as we had opportunities for Pakistani textile, chemicals, molasses and salt etc 'while we are looking forward to sell machinery of different projects on turn key basis'.
When asked whether Amritsar was being given the status of Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to hurt Pakistani industry, he said that the Indian government under a policy was setting up some 300 SEZ all over the country.
On the question of holding the exhibition at a time when Pakistan was badly hit by an earthquake, he said that it was planned and announced some one year back and gate money of this exhibition would be given to the earthquake relief fund.
Speaking on this occasion, LCCI president Mian Shafqat Ali said that exchange of trade delegations and joint exhibitions were effective tool to build initial relations between two countries in today's world. He said that the LCCI also wanted that trade with India should be held in a way in which local industry should be protected.
Former president LCCI Mian Anjum Nisar said that exhibition would be a healthy activity as trade liberalisation was a part of SAFTA agreement, which had already been signed. However, he said that efforts should be made by the two governments and the business community to reduce the imbalance in trade between the two countries.
LCCI vice-president Aftab Ahmad Vohra, while welcoming Sachdeva at the LCCI hoped that the exhibition would improve the trade relations. However, he was of the view that the core issues between the two countries should also be settled. He said that he visited India twice during last 10 days to buy tents and other articles for the earthquake victims and said that the Indians were equally aggrieved at the devastation caused by the earthquake.