The trade bodies as well as various think-tanks in Pakistan have seldom done any extensive joint studies to ascertain the ground realities of trading and investing in India." This was stated by Majyd Aziz, former President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the SPDI consultative meeting on trade normalisation and FDI prospects for India and Pakistan held in Karachi.
Majyd Aziz commented that while discussing the lucrative or potentially favourable sectors attracting Pakistani investment in India, one had to be realistic since there could not be prescriptive solutions across the board. However, one has to realise that there would be talk of investment, there would be trips undertaken, there would be exchange of information, and more importantly, there would be intense discussions among potential joint venture partners.
Economic integration is the guiding beacon but there has to be positive but calculated efforts made to achieve the objectives. Majyd Aziz further added that it had been seen that the Pakistani textile manufacturers had generally based most of their thinking on successes of the various exhibitions that were held in India where Pakistan participation was prominent. However, no institutional research had been conducted to determine the market dynamics of other Indian cities besides the three or four major cities, he added.
Majyd Aziz also cautioned that one could not deny that the dark clouds of animosity, distrust, and religious discrimination would blow away overnight. The core issue of Kashmir keeps the fire burning.
Then there is the perennial water issue, Siachen, Sir Creek, 26/11, Balochistan, and the Indian influence in Afghanistan that all could and have kept trade and investment hostage over the past many decades. "Equally unfortunate our political statements emanating out of some corners that negatively impact the liberalisation process." He advocated the imperative need to make a paradigm shift from an aggressive mentality to a mercantile way of thinking if trade and investment is to increase to six billion dollars as envisaged by both the governments and if true liberalisation of trade and investment becomes as reality.-PR