LAHORE - With a view to delve deeper into the implications of free trade with India, Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) will organize a “Conference on Pakistan-India Trade Potential” on 04th April 2012 in Lahore, to be chaired by Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif.
Vice Chairman PBIT, Dr. Miftah Ismail while giving details in this regard informed that the conference will not only touch upon the threats and opportunities that will come with free trade with India but will also discuss the practical roadmap of how free trade will be ensured which will include future plans of Federal Government pertaining to, visa regime, customs regulations, land and sea trade infrastructure.
Vice Chairman PBIT emphasized that Punjab Government attaches a lot of importance to the consultative process between the stakeholders and the government for achieving a consensus on national issues that affect the interests of businesses in Punjab. Moreover, the Punjab Government wants its businesses to completely comprehend the aftermath of opening up of free trade with India.
“What are the implications for Pakistan with the opening up of our market to Indian exporters? Who will gain and who will lose from this trade? What can be done to take advantage from the opportunities that increased Pak-India trade will offer? These are some questions that need to be answered as we open up our market for Indian imports and hope to get access for our exports to India.
We hope to answer these through this conference where stakeholders from various segments have also been invited. The eminent participants would be Federal Secy Commerce Zafar Mehmood, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Nadeem-ul Haq and Dr. Ishrat Hussain as well as leading businessmen and top executives of various Multi National firms throughout Pakistan.