The Indian government has agreed to provide three trains weekly for carrying cement consignments from Pakistan for its domestic consumption. The Pakistan Railways was already using three trains every week for cement supply to India, but Pakistani exporters had complaints of short supply of wagons for cement and other exportable items.
India has emerged as a promising market for Pakistan to export its surplus cement. The two sides are working closely to tap this potential. The private sector of both countries is playing a key role in making things happen which were thought impossible in the past.
The private sector was making efforts at its own for getting some railway wagons for carrying cement to India from Pakistan. Mian Mansha and some other Pak cement manufacturers-cum-exporters have been visiting New Delhi on regular basis in the recent past. They had also engaged the Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry for finding a quick solution to the problem of short supply of railway wagons for cement and other exportable items.
Pakistan is holding Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry's office of the president and the vice-president. Its President Tariq Sayeed and Vice-President Iftikhar Ali Malik took the job on top priority basis and included it in the agenda of the meeting of the Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry held in New Delhi last week.
They also submitted recommendations for removing barriers in facilitating bilateral trade between New Delhi and Islamabad in the Saarc Chamber and Industry's meeting, besides holding a meeting with Indian Railway authorities during their stay in New Delhi to convince them to provide railway wagons for lifting cement consignments from Pakistan on regular basis.
The Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry is also working on other means for quick delivery of consignments between India and Pakistan. It has constituted a special committee to suggest possible resources and means in this regard.
Its working on different options such as setting up of warehouses at border entry points, provision of additional source of supply of consignments and finding out of the new entry channels between the two countries to facilitate bilateral trade between the two countries.