Dastgir said that visa restrictions constituted the biggest non-tariff barrier and hoped all barriers would be considerably overcome. The minister said that trade was a force which would help find new avenues of prosperity between the two countries. He said trade between Pakistan and India will bring prosperity to the people of both the countries. He said Pakistan should have friendly relations with all its neighbouring countries and promote trade with them. The minister said a sense of confidence was needed to improve trade between both countries. According to him, investment comes with confidence, and if a trust deficit remains no other country will invest.
He underscored the need for enhanced cultural and academic linkages. He said that there was a great opportunity to grow if both countries normalised their relations. According to him, enhancing trade ties between the two countries is the policy of their government. He also said that after coming to power the PML (N) government had taken a number of steps to strengthen trade ties. He said in 2013 elections in Pakistan no anti-India sentiment was the slogan of any party.
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Senior Vice President (SVP) Dr Jyotsna Suri said that vibrant co-operation between Pakistan and India would result in better growth in both countries. She said that Pakistan had great potential to attract tourists and huge foreign exchange. The economic significance of tourism is that it acts as a multiplier to a wide range of commercial activities like Railways, airlines, handicrafts and tour operators. She said that our populations are uniquely skilled in all the multitude of commercial activities. She called for taking econo0mic co-operation to a higher level. She said both the countries should become economies for our people to reap the benefits of our vision and effort.
Speaking on the occasion joint secretary Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry Arvind Mehta said bilateral trade has doubled during three years. President Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vikramjit Singh Sahney said Pakistan should cut down its Negative List. He expressed hope that Turkmenistan-India-Pakistan will be completed soon and will bring prosperity in the region. He said both the countries should work on enhancing the trade on the Amritsar, Lahore and Kabul route.
Lahore Chamber of Commerce And Industry (LCCI) President Sohail Lashari called for early establishment of banking network between India and Pakistan, opening up of borders 24/7, infrastructural facilities on borders and containerisation of cargo, allowing all tradable items by land route at Wagha.
The LCCI President said that being important members of the Saarc, Pakistan and India both need to pull up their acts together to bring economic and political stability and prosperity in the region. "Trade between India and Pakistan hold the major share in the pie of the Saarc countries." The LCCI President said the mutual and diplomatic relations between both the countries should remain unaffected by the political vicissitudes. Engineer Sohail Lashari said that there should also be investment in each other's countries. There should be congenial environment for investment and joint ventures.
"There should be standardisation procedures followed for trade so that there is some harmonised standard in order to avoid disagreements." Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan TTCA Raghavan, Vice President Iftikhar Ali Malik and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Secretary Rabia Javeri Agha were also present on the occasion.