India To Remove Roadblocks On Import Of 20 Items From Pak

ISLAMABAD: India has accorded to remove barriers on import of 20 items from Pakistan without asserting on Most Favoured Nation status and transit facility for Afghanistan. . A meeting of Joint Study Group (JSC) of the two countries followed the two-day talks held in New Delhi under the fourth round of composite dialogue process. The Commerce Ministry will consult all stakeholders before communicating the list of 20 items of Pakistan''s preference. India made the offer without insisting on MFN status and transit facility for Afghanistan. The list to be prepared in consultations with the business and industry should comprise items, which Pakistan can export easily, without affecting domestic needs. India also displayed readiness to import Pakistani cement and for this purpose, six cement factories have been selected. Indian said New Delhi decided to facilitate trade on 20 items of interest to Pakistan, while looking addition of 484 items in the 1,075-item list on which Islamabad permits trade with New Delhi. The bilateral trade between currently stood at $1.67 billion with balance of trade heavily in favour of India.