IITF to strengthen Pak-India trade ties

Pakistani businessmen expressed the hope that participating in the India International Trade Fair (IITF), started on Wednesday, will strengthen trade relations with India. “We hope a large number of visitors will visit Pakistani Pavilion, which is offering huge range of products,” said Haji Fazal Qadir Sherani, president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), while visiting Pargati Maidan in New Delhi. The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) delegation led by Haji Fazal Kadir Khan Sherani, president, consists of Shakil Ahmed Dhingra, Muhammad Iqbal Dawood, Azhar Majeed Sheikh and Begum Salma Ahmed, vice presidents of the FPCCI. The mega trade event was inaugurated by the Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday. Pakistani pavilion at the exhibition was formally inaugurated on Thursday by Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India, Salman Bashir, who also attended the inaugural ceremony. Pakistani businessmen expressed the hope that Indian president will visit the pavilion, which will help strengthen relations between the two countries. The Indian Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) has allocated a huge space for Pakistani exhibitors, which are the largest in participation of the FPCCI in any city of the world. “A huge number of exhibitors from various sectors are participating, making the largest participation of the FPCCI in any city in the world,” said Iqbal Dawood Pakwala, vice president of the FPCCI. Pakwala said that this kind of participation would further boost trade relations, which have already begun through government-level talks between the two countries. Over 6,000 exhibitors from 22 countries are participating in this year’s event with the FPCCI organising biggest participation of 176 exhibitors among the participant countries at IITF 2012. Shaikh Shakeel Dhingra, vice president of the FPCCI, was also optimistic about the outcome of the trade fair. He said that around 200 exhibitors from Pakistan are participating in the event. He praised the role of the Indian trade promotion for the co-operation and also lauded the support of the Pakistan High Commission in India. The Indian president thanked Pakistan and other 21 foreign countries participants for participating in IITF2012 and wished them luck. Anand Sharma, the Union Trade, Commerce and Textile Minister during his speech accentuated on the theme of the fair and said that 10,000 people go under the skill development programmes specially designed by the Indian Government for its people during next few months and more to follow in the following years.