Pak-India trade talks ended here on Wednesday without making any concrete progress on important trade-related issues. Both the sides remained hard on their status positions and, therefore, each other's demands could be called as reminder only.
Indian Commerce Secretary Dipak Chatterjee and his Pakistani counterpart Tasneem Noorani, who represented their countries during the talks, had no big news for the journalists, who were waiting for them at the lobby of the local hotel where talks were held.
Both the secretaries gave pleasant smile to the journalists who wanted to know if the two sides had made progress on any key trade-related issue. Both Dipak and Tasneem Noorani hoped for breakthrough in the next round of talks for which foreign offices of both the countries would issue an agreed schedule.
The talks focused on Indian demand of MFN status from Islamabad and high tariff rate on import from Pakistan.
Other issues, which figured during the meeting included transit facility for India through Pakistan for Afghanistan, direct trade between Mumbai and Karachi ports, import of petroleum products and MFN status to India.
Foreign Office is likely to issue a joint statement on Pak-India trade talks wherein both the countries agreed to have more round of talks to reach some acceptable solution for open trade between the two countries.
The Indian delegation is scheduled to hold a meeting with Pakistani businessmen in Lahore on Thursday and it is expected to leave for India through Wagah on the same evening.
Meanwhile, Indian Commerce Secretary Dipak Chatterjee and Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Shivshankar Menon called on Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan.
They discussed various issues regarding bilateral trade between India and Pakistan. Chatterjee demanded for Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status for his country.
Humayun told the visiting delegation that Pakistan was ready to consider MFN status to India if sustainable political dialogue made progress for resolution of all outstanding issues between the two countries.
The commerce minister emphasised for a level playing field to Pakistani businessmen so that trade might increase for the benefit of both the countries.
Humayun underlined the need for access to information about India's trade regime so that Pakistani traders might be facilitated in trade with India.
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