''Made in Pakistan'' to premiere in India

New Delhi: India will host a trade fair showcasing goods made in Pakistan, at an exhibition in the capital from March 3-11,2004. This will be for the first time that an initiative of this nature is taking place in this sub-continental region. According to the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the 'Made in Pakistan' exhibition at New Delhi would provide an exclusive platform to Pakistani companies to showcase their products, services and organizational capabilities.

The fair will see a representation from the Pakistani companies in automobile, engineering products, handicrafts, stones, consumer durables, non durables, textiles, fabrics, garments, apparel, footwear, food and dry fruits, furniture and home décor. The exhibition will be held at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium, New Delhi from March 3 to March 11, 2004, except March 7, which will be holiday due to Holi.

According to FICCI, the event provides an opportunity for Pakistani and Indian businessmen to network amongst themselves and understand the prrevailing political and economic situation between the two countries. It also allows them to develop business and economic ties for future trade, and gain knowledge about business practices in the SAARC region. The event is being looked at as another step towards closer people to people ties between India and Pakistan. The government of India is supportive of the event.

India's principal exports to Pakistan include sugar, plastic and linoleum products, drugs, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals, rubber manufactured products except footwear, dyes/ intermediates and coal tar chemicals, iron ore, oil meals, spices and tea etc. India's principal imports from Pakistan include fruits and nuts, sugar, pulses, spices, cotton yarn and fabrics, minerals, made up textile articles, dyeing, tanning and spun yarn, among others.

An approximately 300-strong delegation of leading businessmen from Pakistan, led by Riaz Ahmed Tata, president, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) will be in the capital Delhi during the 'Made in Pakistan' expo. FPCCI is the counterpart of FICCI in Pakistan. On the occasion of this visit, FICCI has organized a conference on economic relations between India and Pakistan to discuss a new framework for economic engagement between the two countries.

In January this year, the seven-nation South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) agreed to create a south Asia free trade area (SAFTA) embracing Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. An unstated objective behind the hosting of the trade fair may well be to allay concerns that a south Asian free trade zone may lead to Indian goods swamping Pakistani markets. This point of view gains credence with leading luminaries of FICCI openly acknowledging these concerns, and seeking to allay them.

The trade fair thus seems to be a well-timed move aimed at helping to smoothen the implementation of the SAFTA agreement that will cover a region that is home to 1.4 billion people.