After a gap of 30 years, India and Pakistan will restore cargo shipping services this week when they sign a revised protocol in the sector amid a flurry of high-level visits here from the neighbouring country in the coming days.
The protocol, which will allow vessels of the two countries to lift cargoes of a third country from each other's ports, will be signed on December 14.
It will also allow ships of third countries to lift cargoes of India and Pakistan, PTI reported here quoting Pakistan's Acting High Commissioner Afrasiab.
This will be an amended version of the 1975 Shipping Protocol that prohibits vessels of the two countries from lifting cargoes of any third country.
The revised protocol, which is the amended form of an existing agreement, will also facilitate transit facilities for seafarers of either country for joining or disembarking from foreign flag vessels subject to possession of necessary valid seafarers identification documents and applicable transit visa.
The revised version of the protocol, which was considered a confidence-building measure (CBM) after the 1971 war, is expected to help increase trade between the two countries. The signing of the revised protocol will take place amid increased high-level visits here from Pakistan.
Pakistan's Housing and Works Minister Syed Safwanullah will arrive here on Monday to participate in the first Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Human Settlement, Afrasiab said. The visit is expected to be utilised for bilateral meetings also.
Safanwallah's visit will be followed by the tour of Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro, who will be here to have consultations under the forum of Commonwealth Parliamentary Union, said Afrasiab.
A six-member MQM delegation also undertook a visit here that concluded on Saturday. During the week-long stay here and in Mumbai, the delegation headed by Farooq Sattar met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders.