Pakistan to continue trade with India

Pakistan Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan has said the country would continue to trade with India despite border tensions.

The minister said Friday that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government is committed to increasing regional trade as part of promoting peace without compromising on national sovereignty, Dawn online reported.

"The vision of our government is that we must trade with our neighbours," he added.

Speaking at a consultative meeting, 'Trade with Neighbours: Prospects and Challenges', organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, the minister said that the country's current tension with India is casting a shadow on economic ties.

He said that Pakistan would have to trade in electricity from India to overcome the energy crisis. The minister admitted that extraordinary concessions were given to neighbours for trade facilitation.

"We have been trying to finalise our projects with Iran as well," said the minister

Pakistan is also purchasing electricity from Iran.

State Minister for Privatisation, Mohammad Zubair, supported the notion of opening the border for trade with India.

"Pakistan should trade with India for better standard of living of its own people," he said.

"If we want to develop, we should contribute. It is not about India's domination over us, we absolutely want good relations with India," the minister said.

The privatisation minister said that it was time to start with a bold decision.