Pakistan is concerned about the future scenario of water hence the government of India should work with Pakistan for a joint control over the six rivers rather than adhering to Indus Basin Water Treaty that divided all six rivers between Pakistan and India.
This would help remove Pakistan's reservations and apprehensions over the rivers originating from Kashmir, said Kuldeep Nayar, former member parliament and renowned Indian journalist while addressing a meeting at zonal office of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) here on Saturday. Indian former prime minister I.K Gujral was also scheduled to visit FPCCI who could not arrive due to certain problems.
Kuldeep Nayar who is a delegate member of the delegation currently visiting Pakistan under the chairmanship of Vikramjit Singh Sahrey, President, World Punjabi Congress said that if joint control of the six rivers is taken by the two countries, it would help improve relations between Pakistan and India.
He said that India is comparatively developed country in the region and urged the Indian government to help out neighbouring countries like Pakistan by giving certain incentives and concessions in trade. India's GDP growth has been doubled during last 12 years and it is a big market that can be beneficial for neighbouring countries in trade.
He was optimistic about the friendly relations between the two countries and said that Pakistan and India would become good friends in future like Canada and America. He urged the parliaments of both Pakistan and India to pass a resolution to condemn massive killings in Punjab and forget everything of the past now, to move forward for developing friendly relations.
Speaking on the occasion, Vikramjit Singh said that initially we had facilitated 100 top businessmen of every country in Saarc who were issued stickers for travelling in regional countries. We want to have an addition of 100 businessmen in the list so that the businessmen could avoid procedural problems for getting visas.
Every country in Saarc region trades with each other on purely economic and competitive cost basis but unfortunately trades between Pakistan and India is of political nature. Whenever, Pakistan feels shortage in supply of live animals, vegetables and sugar, it starts importing these items from India but the trade should be done on permanent basis.
Both India and Pakistan are agro-based countries and can benefit each other through trade of all necessary items including fertilisers, he maintained. He further said that presently most of the trade is being done via Dubai and if direct trade is ensured, it would help minimise logistical cost on the pattern of the European Union.
Vikramjit Singh also said that Pakistan provides congenial environment for investment and urged the Indian businessmen to take advantage of it. B.S Chaddha, a manufacturer of Ashok Layand CNG buses in India, disclosed that Punjab minister of transport visited our factory and showed keen interest in purchasing buses which could not be materialised.
However, we have also set up another manufacturing unit in Dubai and we are providing 200 CNG buses to Karachi from there. With our business partner in Dubai, we are also planning to set up a CNG bus manufacturing unit in Lahore. Vice President FPCCI Azhar Saeed Butt, former FPCCI president Tariq Saeed also spoke on the occasion.
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