Infrastructural constraints limit Indian items: Pak secy

Hoping that the newly built Integrated Check Post (ICP) will boost economy of both nations, Pakistan's Commerce secretary Zafar Mahmood said that it was due to the infrastructural constraints that Pakistan has limited the list of import items from India through Attari to 137.

Hoping that the newly built Integrated Check Post (ICP) will boost economy of both nations, Pakistan's Commerce secretary Zafar Mahmood said that it was due to the infrastructural constraints that Pakistan has limited the list of import items from India through Attari to 137.

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However Mahmood, who was heading to New Delhi for an exhibition stressed that, "It is felt by Pakistan that there are infrastructural constraints through road border. But as infrastructure grows, the list of items will also get extended."

As ICP is set to open on Friday, Pakistan had a few days back given a jolt to the Indian exporters by announcing that India can send only 137 items through Attari border. The Indian exporters had criticized this policy of Pakistan as about 5000 items from India are allowed through other ports.

On a question that Pakistan was still not allowing passengers movement through new ICP but using old gates, Mahmood said, "The immigration and customs facility in Pakistan is built recently near the old gate and the ICP built by Pakistan has no such facility."

Otherwise also it is more viable that only trade is carried through new gates and passenger movement carries through old gates. Still talks are on at government level to look into issue, he added. It was earlier told that both trade and passenger movement will take place through new gates but Pakistan has been adamant and not agreed on sending passengers through new gates.

Answering a query that Pakistan has not built a matching infrastructure, Mahmood said, "Pakistan built its ICP earlier than India. The kind of response ICP is expected to get will ultimately choke facility on both sides and expansion will be needed." Till now India has built ICP in 121 acres and Pakistan has built in just 9 acres.

Overall the commerce secretary of Pakistan stressed that ICP has great future and trade will boost economic ties between India and Pakistan.