Indian Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Amrinder Singh has called for 'Punjab-Punjab co-operation' for economic development of both India and Pakistan.
"Our delegation is visiting Pakistan with an open mind and a vision to explore possibilities to move ahead together for co-operation in business and industry and cultural fields," said Sardar Amrinder Singh while addressing the members of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) here on Saturday.
He dubbed his visit to Pakistan as the first of many more, to help build co-operation between the provinces of two states, saying that consensus on South Asian Free Trade Agreement (Safta) indicates willingness of leadership of the two countries to work together.
Sardar Amrinder Singh said both states should also put heads and efforts together to face the emerging global giant, China, in the economic field.
India's Punjab ministers Partap Singh Bajwa, Avtar Henry, Jasjit Randhawa and Harnam Das Johar, East Punjab Chief Secretary Jai Singh Gill, and CM's Political Secretary Rana Gurmit Singh and Punjab (Pakistan) Communication Minister Chaudhry Zaheeruddin accompanied him during his visit to the Lahore Chamber.
Throwing light on his interest in imports from Pakistan, Amrinder said they were interested in getting natural gas from Pakistan, which could help them cutting down their expenditures on electricity generation by 50 percent, adding most of the power plants in East Punjab are at present, coal-fired; this fuel is being brought from other Indian states like Bihar and Chateesgarh, located some 1,800 miles away.
He said there exists scope for import of commodities like sugar molasses, marble, precious and semi-precious stones, fertilisers, fruits and vegetables, adding they were interested in buying surplus electricity generation of Pakistan, too.
India's Punjab chief minister said they would be trying to put together a delegation of their businessmen for visiting Pakistani Punjab on their return.
Talking about problems in issuance of visas, he remarked that it was due to increased number of applicants after improvement in relations between the two countries. He also dispelled the apprehensions that opening up of economy between the two countries would hamper domestic industry.
"We were a closed economy, too, and when we were opening new sector, some sectors showed their reluctance especially the automobile industry, but since its opening it had grown and developed 12 to 15 new brands too," he informed the house.
Sardar Amrinder Singh also expressed his agreement with necessity of peace for economic development, and also agreed that Indian Punjab was breadbasket for India, adding that Punjab was less than two percent in area, but it contributes 40 percent in food and rice and 50 percent in wheat production. He, however, said that Punjab was also making development in industrial sector both in traditional and non-traditional sectors. It had just approved investment of a US company in the IT sector which would be setting up an IT park on 5,000 acres of land employing around 100,000 youths, said Indian Punjab chief minister.
About his meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, he said Chaudhry Pervaiz Ellahi has stressed the need for exchanging delegations in the fields of sports, heritage culture, trade and industry and education.
Speaking on this occasion, Indian Public Works Minister Partap Singh Bajwa said both countries have to open up for economic development, while Indian Punjab Food Minister Avtar Henry said that joint ventures between East Punjab and Pak Punjab could help take control of the world food market by India and Pakistan. He said there exists vast scope for co-operation between the two countries in the fields of agricultural research.
Replying to various queries, the Indian Punjab chief minister said that sword given to him by Chaudhry Pervaiz Ellahi is symbol that Pakistan would stand by with them in any hard time too. On a question of LCCI Executive Committee member Irfan Qaiser, Amrinder asked him to write a letter to look into ban on import of certain chemicals from India to Pakistan.
Earlier, LCCI President Mian Anjum Nisar, in his address of welcome said both countries should co-operate in such a way that it could be a win-win situation. Yawar, in his welcoming remarks, also stressed the need for solving core issues like Kashmir between the two countries.
Former FPCCI chief Iftikhar Ali Malik, former LCCI presidents Mian Tajjamal, Chaudhry Muhammad Ilyas, Yawar Irfan Khan and Shahzada Alam Monnoo also spoke on the occasion.
Comments
Comments are closed.