Pakistan and India have finalised a draft agreement which would pave the way to restart a ferry service between them that was broken off 30 years ago, officials said on Sunday.
The two countries agreed on a draft on Saturday to revise a shipping protocol between them after three days of talks here, Anwar Shah, director general of ports and shipping ministry told AFP.
The protocol would be signed after completion of necessary formalities by the two governments, but he gave no specific date.
"With our agreement to delete contentious parts of the old document (1975 protocol) we have agreed to provide freedom of navigation to lift third country's cargo from each other ports," Shah said.
"Thus, we have successfully removed the final obstacle in the way of the Karachi-Mumbai ferry service," he said.
The service was broken off in 1975 with Pakistan saying bilateral trade was too thin and passenger numbers too low to make it viable.
"We have done at least 90 percent of work and now it is up to the cabinets of the two countries to formally endorse it," Shah said.
"We pointed out difficulties to the Indian counterparts vis-à-vis Pakistani seafarers for joining their vessels from Indian ports that has been acknowledged by the Indian delegation," said the Ports and Shipping Ministry DG.
"It (the protocol) would benefit thousands of Pakistani seafarers," he said.