Pakistan and India have almost finalised the list of goods to be traded across the Line of Control (LoC) in disputed Kashmir. Indian Express reported that India had proposed 14 items for export, of which Pakistan had cancelled five--leather and leather products, juices, jams, copper, silver, tinned food and fabricated items like gold ornaments.
The items that Pakistan allowed to be imported include carpets, furniture, silk, Kashmiri fruits, spices, aromatic plants, dhania, moong, Basmati rice and Kashmiri saffron. India allowed six of 16 items proposed by Pakistan for import after rejecting Pakistan''s proposal to export spices, apples, walnuts, rice, paper and carpets.
India allowed import of precious stones, namdas (a type of woollen mat), furniture, medicinal herbs, embroidered items and chilghoza. The paper said that it was decided in the meeting of a committee of Secretaries headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrashekhar that border trade duty concessions should exclude items in sensitive list under Safta.
The decision on finalised trade lists and modalities is expected to be taken by departments of Revenue & Agriculture and Co-operation which will then inform Ministry of External Affairs for inclusion in the agenda of next LoC meeting, date of which is yet to be finalised by the two countries.