India-Pakistan Reach Broad Pact On Easy Business Visas

New Delhi, Nov 26, IRNA -- India has reached a broad agreement with Pakistan on liberalizing visa regime for their business persons and a Cabinet note in this regard will be ready in 7-8 days, a senior Commerce Ministry official said Friday. 'On our side, it has to go to the Cabinet through the Ministry of External Affairs,' Joint Secretary in the Commerce Ministry Arvind Mehta said at a event organised by the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), here. Under the proposal, India and Pakistan should grant multiple entry visas to businessmen of the two sides. He said the 'police reporting' would also be done away with under the proposal. The note by MEA 'will be ready in 7-8 days for consideration of the Cabinet,' Mehta said addressing the meeting attended by a business delegation from Pakistan. A broad agreement on the issue has been reached between India's Home Ministry and Interior Ministry of Pakistan, he said. Mehta also sought to allay concerns among Pakistan's businessmen that normalisation of bilateral trade would result in swarming of Pakistani market with Indian goods. 'Do not be fearful of the future because things are changing,' he said, adding there are several safeguards under South Asian Free Trade Agreement for domestic industry. Present on the occasion, Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik said that non-tariff barriers (NTBs) exist in India on Pakistani goods.'These barriers do exist and there is no point in brushing this aside,' Malik said. In the presence of restricted trade, the bilateral engagement is limited to USD 2.65 billion./end