LAHORE

IMRAN ADNAN

FEDERAl Board of Revenue(FBR) has indicated thattimely opening of dedicatedcargo gate at Wagah-Attari

border is very vital for Pakistan’s tradeand economy as there is a hugepotential for Pakistan’s exportsthrough this route.In the recent bilateral trade meetingbetween commerce ministers ofPakistan and India, which was held inIslamabad, FBR Chairman pointed out

Pakistan customs was ready to clearcontainerised cargo at Wagah Customsstation. He said sufficient expertisewas available to deal with it. However,National logistic Cell (NlC) wouldhave to put up enough infrastructureand facilities to handle containers atthe terminal, like enough hard standingcranes or gantries and fork liftersthough some were available at present.FBR’s official briefing summary madeavailable to Profit shows FBR hashighlighted, “NlC is currentlydeveloping infrastructure on thePakistan side. NlC’s Wagah Border

Terminal (WBT) has been inoperational since 2008, but is stillincomplete and the work is in progress.The progress on Pakistan side is on aslow pace due to non-seriousness ofNlC authorities.”summary shows FBR is of the view thatIntegrated Check Post (ICP) on Indianside can be completed in the next threeto four months with necessary facilitiesfor trade and passengers. The majorhurdle in achieving the goal ofdedicated cargo gate within giventimeline is slow progress on the tracksconnecting the two terminals and new

gates on both sides. Whereas, onPakistan side, other infrastructuralrequirements, like sheds for storage ofgoods, parking area for trucks, buildingstructures for custom operations andallied agencies at the terminal are yetto be setup. All these facilities may takefour to five months. All requirementshave already been communicated toNlC authorities by the Model CustomsCollectorate (MCC), lahore. FBRunderlines that Pakistan Customs hasalready improved its processing atWagah and the clearance time has beenminimised. Efforts are underway to

further reduce this time. Perishablecommodities are already being clearedon priority basis. No consignmenttakes more than two days to be clearedfrom the terminal, and usually thedelay is due to incomplete documentsby the importers.scanning facility is already available onPakistan side. There are two types offacilities available — mobile scanner aswell as static vehicle scanner. However,this facility is yet to be installed onIndian side. At present there is noproperly planned demarcation of thetrade areas at Wagah Border Terminalby NlC, which is leading to a jumbledstate – mixing imports, exports andtransit consignments – as well asdrivers of both sides, which are threatsto the security of merchandise as wellas facilities. This unorganised state ofoperations at the terminal is becomingan impediment in cargo movement.FBR has pointed out that currently;Pakistan Customs is clearingapproximately 150 trucks per day ofIndian imports and sending 60 trucksper day of Pakistan’s exports. Whereas,potential both ways in much higher innumber. The current frequency oftrucks is due to the time limitation (7am to 2 pm) at the current gate, spacelimitation on Indian side andinefficient cargo handling by NlC onPakistan side. In the summary FBRfurther highlights that currently thereis no laboratory working at Wagah.Customs lab at Mughalpura Dryport,lahore, is being used. Quarantineservices are also not available all thetime. NlC is yet to provide space forfacilities, like laboratory andquarantine procedures.At present there is no mechanism ofdata sharing between the twocountries at Wagah-Attari border, butthe same can be easily madeoperational once the dedicated cargogate is in place. It has already beenproposed that to conduct jointexamination there should be somesort of Electronic Data Interface(EDI) on both sides, but the same canonly be installed once scanners areinstalled on Indian side.

Monday, 20 February, 2012profit.com.pk

Gender equality:an economic necessityPage 02

LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

As the world’s leading economiesstruggled with the prospect of double-dip recession over the least year and ahalf, investor rush into the safe-haven

shelter of gold once again came to prominence.And even as the American economy registerssigns of slow stability, the sovereign debt crisisin Europe, exacerbated by credit agencydowngrades, should provide enoughinternational financial uncertainty to keep goldcomfortably (uncomfortably for some) bid for atleast the foreseeable future. Interestingly, despite the Pakistani economy’sapparent decoupling with the internationalfinancial system, which kept the worst of theglobal recession spill-over from our shores, thecorrelation with gold is surprising. Whether ornot the local market hike has been fueled byhedging for financial uncertainty or speculativefrenzy that takes over whenever there is anirrational bull market remains to be seen. Butthe new trend has largely removed much of themiddle class from the gold market – bothbuyers and sellers.

MARKET SQUEEZEKamran Waheed is the face of Afzal jewelers,one of the market’s most respected names sinceas far back as anybody can remember. “The

market has changed considerably in the last fewyears. It has matured,” he tells Profit.“And while this means customers are increasinglyinclined towards elegance and value addition asopposed to earlier standards of weight, glitterand glamour, it also means established nameslike ours must now cater to the market’s high-endsegment, the mediocre chunk having beeneliminated”. It is little surprise that constantlyincreasing commodity prices, in times of lowemployment and generally high inflation, havesliced the middle income segment from thedemand spectrum. However, owing to traditionalcompulsions, their indulgencies are reduced to

marriage-to-marriage buying.

NEW DIRECTIONRunning the family business in changing times,Kamran says the way to survive and thrive forhis like in the future is diversifying into thediamond industry, with plans to set upPakistan’s premier diamond cutting facility. “We already engage industry professionals fromacross the world, principally from Turkey, Italy,India, etc. Therefore, we have the proper reach,it’s just a matter of leveraging it to initiate

production as opposed to import to sell,” headds. Already, indigenous production levelshave become cause for serious concern.Failing corrective action, imports willundercut local market price levels, disruptinglong-held market dynamics.This phenomenon can already be seen at play.“singapore made chains flooding the localmarket are a signal of the trend to come,”according to Kamran.

UNNECESSARY HURDLESThere are obvious rewards in catering to risingfashion demand of the rich and fashionable, butthe cause is not helped by inefficient bureaucraticdelays and chronic shortage, making industryexpansion cost-benefit simply unfeasible. Andthis makes Kamran obviously animated. “Wehave enough productive potential to generatemeaningful revenue, bolstering the government’skitty in the process, yet there is little officialpatronage. This market segment, hit by officialneglect and crippling energy crisis, will continueto struggle to accommodate changes in fashionsense and demand.”Helping the industryIn a country where the precious metal andfashion industries have lagged regionalcontemporaries in many respects, Afzal jewelersoffers lectures, trainings and internships to helpshape the sell/supply side of the equation. “Demand side maturity will have little effect ifthe industry is not ably equipped to cater to it,”says Kamran, emphasising the need forspecialised institutions. Qualified professionalswill not only ensure quality products andprocesses, they will also ensure the marketgrows as a whole, and becomes a more seriousplayer in the international arena.

Goldsmith entrepreneur

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debate02Monday, 20 February, 2012

FARAkH SHAHzAd

PAKIsTAN has a population of about 180million, over half of which are women.Keeping in view the 51 per cent of the totalpopulation, it is a smart economics to

ensure gender equality as a guarantee towardseconomic self reliance. By neglecting majority of thesegment from the economic mainstream cannotproduce better economic outcomes in thisgeneration and the future. social scientists areunanimous that implementation of genderequality has the potential and dynamics todouble the GDP from four to eight per cent thatis no less achievement in the current globalscenario. For that matter, all you have to do ischange the centuries old social misperceptionsingrained in the society. It is an undeniablefact that women in Pakistan remain at thebottom of the socio-economic ladder.Femininity is measured to be the essentialconcern in the process of socio-economicinfrastructure development. Therefore,investment in women’s empowerment inPakistan is the key factor in improvingthe economic, political and socialconditions in Pakistan. Hence, decisionmaking processes for womenempowerment; valuation planningand policy formulation shouldemphasis on main streaming genderequality around Pakistan.Women empowerment is notlimited to control over imitationor financial freedom only, rather itis a grouping of literacy,employment and health. Womenempowerment is an important andfunctional concept in the development of acommunity as it represents women asactive agents rather than inactiverecipients of development policies.We have a golden saying of thefounder of Pakistan who had wellanticipated the future role of womenin the society even before the formation ofPakistan. Quaid-e-Azam said in a speech in1944, “No nation can rise to the height of gloryunless your women are side by side with you; we arevictims of evil customs. It is a crime againsthumanity that our women are within the four wallsof the houses, like prisoners.” The lives of Pakistaniwomen have changed during the past 30 years andthey are more empowered and emancipated thenthey were ever before. More and more women areentering the workforce today as their predecessors,who made the first time at the work place and alsomade life easier for other women, lent them theencouragement to do so. But a lot more is yet to bedone. There is an undeclared social resistanceimpeding the level of 100 per cent gender equality inour society. To analyse that, we need to break down‘gender equality’ into dimensions of equality betweenmen and women. These dimensions include humancapital such as education and health, economicopportunities and differences in voice and agency -the ability to shape outcomes within households,institutions and society. We have found a paradox;for instance, look at the last 30 years, you find insome areas gaps have closed quite dramatically, astriking example being education. But some gaps likeequality in opportunities and decision making are

persisting, even asdevelopment occurs. It is objectively understood

that there are low rates offemale labour forceparticipation as insouth Asia. Thisstate of affairs

exists in terms ofgaps in earnings and

productivity even within richcountries. look at Germany and the Us -there’s a gap in what men and women earn.Rich countries also show comparative gaps inwomen’s political participation.We need to instill in our political leadership astrong sense of shift from our past perceptions. Inface of the growing economic challenges of thedynamic world, the major emphasis must be focusedon the fact that it’s an economic necessity for womento work, something which couldn’t be ignored. Tounderstand the prevailing paradoxes, we have torevise our priorities and review our social valuesystem that is highly biased against a significantcomponent of the society by its counterpart. We haveto neutralise our vision to honestly examine whatgoes on in the household, interactions with markets,how employers treat men and women, and legal andservice-delivery institutions. A cross-cutting priorityis ending the reproduction of inequality over time;ensuring attitudes regarding gender aren’tperpetuated and reinforcing our confidence in aworld free from gender specific unequal level playingtilted against a class of people who make 51 per centof our society. Gaps in earnings and productivity areexplained by how men and women divide their time

in our social scheme of things.Due to social norms, womenspend more time on family care.Industries alone can’t settle thisnatural phenomenon. so themessage is - great

globalisation ishappening and

there is no otherway, but tochange. Youstill needdirected policy

action. You stillneed legislation

with the power ofenforcement. From Khyber to Karachi, gaps existbetween laws empowering women and theirimplementation.The wisdom demand us the establishment of afederal accountability mechanism to implementPakistan’s international commitments includingConvention on Elimination of all Forms ofDiscrimination Against Women (CEDAW) andMillennium Development Goals (MDGs) as itremains the sole responsibility of federal governmentunder the ministry of human rights. An essential stepto help improve lives of Pakistani women is toprovide platform for inter-provincial and regionaldialogue which may well pave way for a nationalframework on gender equality and womenempowerment. Gender equality is, first and foremost,a human right. Women are entitled to live in dignityand freedom from want and fear. Empoweringwomen is also an indispensable tool for advancingdevelopment and reducing poverty. Empowered

womencontribute to the health

and productivity ofthe whole family

andcommunity

and furtherimprove

prospects for thenext generation. The importance of gender equality isunderscored by its inclusion as one of the eightMillennium Development Goals (MGDs) that all 193United Nations member states and at least 23international organisations have agreed to achieve bythe year 2015. It is, therefore, being acknowledged asa key to achieving the other seven goals which includeeradicating extreme poverty, reducing child mortalityrates, fighting disease epidemics such as AIDs, anddeveloping a global partnership for development.MDGs focus on three major areas of humandevelopment: bolstering human capital, improvinginfrastructure, and increasing social, economic andpolitical rights, with the majority of the focus goingtowards increasing basic standards of living.The condition of women has undergoneundeniable improvements during the last century.But these improvements haven’t happenedeverywhere and even where they have been thestrongest, well, they are far from being strongenough. Gender inequality still lingersunchallenged: it’s one of those things that are hardto see precisely because they are right in front ofour eyes. We need gender equality now, becausemore opportunities for women are moreopportunities for us all.

Gender equality: an economic necessity

No nation can rise to theheight of glory unless your

women are side by side withyou; we are victims of evil

customs. It is a crime againsthumanity that our womenare within the four walls ofthe houses, like prisoners

The importance of genderequality is underscored by itsinclusion as one of the eight

Millennium DevelopmentGoals (MGDs) that all 193

United Nations member statesand at least 23 internationalorganisations have agreed to

achieve by the year 2015

QUAID-E-AZAM MUHAMMAD ALI JINNAH

1944

MicHAEL SpEncE

MARKETs and capitalist incentives havegreat strengths in promoting economicefficiency, growth, and innovation. And,as Ben Friedman of Harvard University

argued persuasively in his 2006 book The MoralConsequences of Growth, economic growth is good foropen and democratic societies. But markets andcapitalist incentives have clear weaknesses in ensuringstability, equity, and sustainability, which can adverselyaffect political and social cohesion. Obviously,abandoning market-capitalist systems, and implicitlygrowth, is not really an option. Collectively, we have littlechoice but to try to adapt the system to changingtechnological and global conditions in order to achievestability, equity (in terms of opportunity and outcomesalike), and sustainability. Of these three imperatives,sustainability may be the most complex and challenging.For many people, sustainability is associated with finitenatural resources and the environment. The globaleconomy will probably triple in size in the next quarter-

century, largely owing to growth in developing countriesas they catch up to developed-country incomes andadopt similar consumption patterns. Thus, there is awell-founded fear that the planet’s natural resources(broadly defined) and recuperative capacities will notwithstand the pressure.To some, this logic leads to the conclusion that growthis the problem, and that less growth is the solution.But, in developing countries, where only sustainedgrowth can lift people out of poverty, limiting itcannot be the answer. The alternative is to change thegrowth model in order to lighten the impact of higherlevels of economic activity on natural resources andthe environment. But there is no existing alternativeto which we can all switch. Changing the growthmodel means inventing a new one over time, step-by-step, from complementary parts. The two keyingredients seem to be education and values.Everyone, not just policymakers, needs to understandthe consequences of our individual and collectivechoices. We need to be aware for example, thatpopulation growth and rising consumption levels have

intergenerational consequences, and that how weconduct ourselves will affect the lifestyles andopportunities of our children and grandchildren. Thus far, the quality of our choices has beenunimpressive, reflecting little sensitivity tosustainability and the impact of our choices on futuregenerations. As a result, many developed countries havebuilt up dangerously large public debts and even largernon-debt liabilities, owing to unsustainable growthpatterns. Education and values are the foundation ofsound individual and, ultimately, collective choices.Without them, the incentives and policies thateconomists rightly argue are needed to increase energyefficiency, limit carbon emissions, economize on waterusage, and much more will lack support and fail in thedemocratic decision-making process.If sustainability is to triumph, it must be predominantlya bottom-up process. Environmentalists are right tofocus on education and individual choices, even whentheir policy proposals are not always on target.Education and values will drive local innovation, alterlifestyles, and shift social norms. They will also affectbusiness behavior via choices by customers andemployees, including business leaders. Thus, they areessential components of the formulas needed to pursuesustainable patterns of growth.There are clear steps that can be taken. Appropriateregulation and sufficiently long time horizons can

make structures of all kinds much more energy-efficient, without imposing burdensome costs. In asimilar way, transportation can become less energy-intensive without restricting mobility. some of theseshifts might be subject to international coordination,in order to avoid adverse competitive consequences,whether real or perceived. But too much coordinationcan be a bad thing. That is why climate-changenegotiations are shifting from the misguided objectiveof seeking risky 50-year commitments to bindingcarbon-emissions targets to focusing on parallel, step-by-step processes, including higher energy efficiency,better urban planning, improved transportationsystems, and on learning as we go. Progress has been helped by growing awareness inpopulous Asia – and in developing countries generally –that sustainability is the key to achieving their longer-term growth objectives. This perspective perhaps comesmore naturally in an environment of rapid growth,because their growth models require continual reviewand adaptation to be sustainable. Over time, values shiftas knowledge is acquired and disseminated. Policiesaimed at sustainability are likely to follow. What isunknown is whether we will reach that point fast enoughto avoid major disruptions, or even potential conflict.

A version of this article was first published inProject Syndicate

The sustainability mindset

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IN this competitive professional worldthere are many factors you have tokeep in mind for survival. It is veryeasy to fall prey to sharks out there,which is why you have to be prepared

for self defense. self defense requires tools andskills which will help you not only protect yourjob, or get a new one, but will also help yousucceed in the professional world.

'The key to success is not your intelligencebut your adaptability,' I read once and over the

course of my career thisis something I havelearned. It is absolutelyvital to keep yourself upto date with the chang-ing professional world.I have had many dis-cussions with manypeople affected by theeconomy downturn inUs and all of them werevery comfortably work-ing at one place for

many years without sharpening up their respec-tive skill-sets. I refer to those people as smallaquarium fish, but once the tank breaks, theyare out in the open sea with deadly sharks andthey don't stand a chance competing against.

Working in Us at a senior management levelfor the past 14 years, I have studied the corpo-rate world very closely and one thing which Ifind detrimental for the candidates is to staywhere they are and not getting up to speed withindustry changes. No matter which industry youwork for there would be a time when your serv-ices will not add any value to the company and

people are let go even if you have served thesame company for many years. Keep in mindthat the learning never stops so strive for in-creasing your knowledge base with the passageof time. By keeping yourself informed about in-dustry changes and learning the industry buzzwords makes you score brownie points in frontof your boss as well as help you in job interviews.

My message for jobseekers is to reorient theirfocus rather than lose heart. Instead of keepingyour search open ended, try to find the specialskills you have which no one else can offer in themarket. Whether it is your inter-personal orsales/marketing or technical skills, you can easilyuse them in your favour. One more importantthing I want to call out here is that the resumeshould be geared towards highlighting your keystrengths and should be keyword driven. Youdon't have to write tons of information just toshow the employer that you are the master ofeverything but only show relevant strengthswhich will make you the best fit for the job.

Once you have your foot in door for the inter-view then you can easily provide details on yourexperience. No one is above you so your confi-dence should never shake. Always be sure aboutwhat you say or do and if you don't know youshould just admit it instead of making stuff up. Theimportant thing is to show that you are eager tolearn and can quickly pick things up. This showsyour confidence and it is appreciated anywhere inthe world. People are always under the impres-sions that they are doing everything right and stilldon't see any results but that's not true, you haveto have a competitive edge over others. I want theyouth and young professionals to put the gameface on and get prepared to face the challengeswith an effective approach. I read somewhere, 'theability to learn faster than your competitors maybe the only sustainable competitive advantage’.The professional world was always like this, whereyou are out in the wild against the deadliest com-petitors so preparing yourself to be successful isvery important. It will help you swim with sharkswithout been eaten up by one of them.

The writer is Director,E-Commerce, Walmart

THE trilateral summit’s cen-tral significance no doubtlay in studying the Afghanendgame and beyond, yetIran’s presence introduced

subtle complications involving playersfrom the region, the Persian-ArabianGulf, as well as from well across the At-lantic. The outcome is generally Pak-istan-positive, even if it aggravates risks.

One, neither Zardari nor Karzaineeded lecturing on the Us take on theAhmadinejad invite. That they are will-ing to put the entire weight of Us policyaside to accommodate Tehran indicatesincreased focus on regional manage-ment, an appreciated novelty. Two,Zardari’s all to visible desire to speed upthe IPI, currency swaps and all, betraysmuch deeper division with the Us thanunderstood in the initial aftermath of thesalala check post attack. Three, one andtwo will not only upset America’s disen-gagement with Afghanistan, they will

also disfigure the Washington-led in-tense sanctions regime against Tehran.As for Pakistan, the script is clear. TAPImay or may not be in the offing, but IPIis a definite go. Four, the Iran angle, andthe timing of it, will also cast a longshadow on Islamabad’s give-and-takewith the GCC, where interestingly, bil-lions in annual military flows cite Iranahead of Israel as the chief concern.

Whatever the exogenous compul-sions, Islamabad has picked the rightcard out of the deck, putting local needsahead of wish lists from friends and part-ners. The IPI, already delayed, is missioncritical for the country’s energy needs. Itmight just prevent caving in of our man-ufacturing and industry, at the sametime providing fiscal breathing room toIran in troubled times. However behindthe curve, the region’s leadership seemsto have realised it must stick together ifAmerican departure and Taleban ascentare to be contained.

Trilateral posturing

The ability to learnfaster than yourcompetitors may bethe only sustainablecompetitive advantage

Swimming

with sharks

Najaf Gillani

E D I T O R I A L

Grilling the wrong chicken

HUNGER, they say, forces youinto taking aberrant actions; andthe degree of abnormality ofthese acts is of course directlyproportional to the swelling ap-

petite. Hence, when our industrial magnates pre-pared their metal rods, charcoal briquettes andspices to ‘grill’ the visiting Indian commerce min-ister, Anand sharma, this week, what they were ac-tually doing was fanning the embers of potentialtrade starvation, caused by our commerce minis-ter’s hasty decision making. It was like vying tosteam-cook the neighbour’s fowl, because you

knew that your own chicken was tasteless and un-savoury anyway. And just as one had feared, thehen from the neighbourhood nonchalantly parriedaway probing advances, and simply refused to beintimidated by any array of rods or flames that weconjured up.

sharma was bombarded with a blitzkrieg ofqueries regarding the non-tariff barriers; for exam-ple, Indian labeling requirements, lack of visas forour textile traders – despite importing cottonworth $16m – and restriction on cement imports.And the minister meticulously handled the on-slaught promising reevaluation of NTBs to cement,textile and agriculture sectors, revising the visa ruleand with his Pakistani counterpart signed threeinitial trade related agreements – customs cooper-ation agreement, a grievance redressing mecha-nism and one for mutual quality certificationrecognition. Our industrialists’ scepticism is un-derstandable, for, without New Delhi’s provisionof transparent access to our raw materials and lift-ing the NTBs the trade graph would continue to beskewed towards the Indians. Their discontent,however, is a corollary of our commerce ministry’s

imprudence more than the Indian prejudice, andtherefore it is evident that we have been grilling thewrong chicken. Hoping for sharma to safeguardthe interests of Pakistani industries smacks of a 3Dmarination of delusion, doubt and desperation;and this is where our tasteless chicken springs intothe kitchen. Makhdoom Amin Fahim was underthe cosh in a recent cabinet meeting over the ‘un-necessary haste’ in trying to convert Indian tradeitems from the negative to the positive list, withouttaking the interior ministry, textile ministry andother stakeholders on board. And this is preciselywhat perturbs the industrialists the most.

Amin Fahim promised the Indian commercecontingent of completely removing the negative listby the end of the year and sent a summary to thecabinet of gradually phasing out the list in threequarters, ending on June 30, september 30 andDecember 31 respectively. Now unless the com-merce minister has somehow dug out Aladdin’slamp from an Arabian cave, with a genie to grantthe industrialists three wishes – one each for thethree aforementioned quarters – it is hard to per-ceive Pakistani industry miraculously becoming so

competitive as to give the In-dian market a run for itsmoney so quickly. This movewould give them no time toestablish the needed infra-structure to compete withIndian goods, when theyeventually start flooding inafter the negative list re-moval and the MFN grant.It is appalling to note that our commerce minis-ter did not even consult his own colleagues, letalone other stakeholders, before deciding uponour trading future, and hence, the federal cabinetjustly deferred the matter.

such a rushed decision could have cata-strophic consequences as the balance of trade,which is already heavily inclined towards India– out of $1,053m worth of bilateral trade lastyear, our imports were worth $860m, with ameager $193m (18.33 per cent) being exports –would precipitously tilt further, which in turnwould quash our industrialists, potentially ag-gravating the long-term economic growth of the

country. The prudent ap-proach would have been todiscuss a bigger timeframeand transform the negativelist in synchrony withIndia’s relaxation of NTBs.However, with the ministryseemingly taking short-cuts, their loyalty towardsthe national cause and the

protection of local industry undoubtedly comesunder scrutiny. And therefore, while barbecu-ing Anand sharma was an instinctive reactionfrom our industrialists, it is his Pakistani coun-terpart who should be earmarked as the tan-doori tikka. And while we are on that ‘tikka’ isthe Finnish word for ‘woodpeckers’ that areoften said to be ‘highly self-seeking species thatare aggressive to other members of theirspecies.’ suddenly everything fits into the pic-ture perfectly.

The writer is Sub-Editor,Pakistan Today. He can be reached at

khulduneshahid@gmail.com

Kunwar Khuldune Shahid

For comments, queries and contributions, write to:

Email: profit@pakistantoday.com.pk Ph: 042-36298305-10 Fax: 042-36298302 Website: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

BABUR SAGHIRCreative Head

HAMMAD RAZALayout Designer

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M o n d a y, 2 0 F e b r u a r y, 2 0 1 2

While his Indiancounterpart dealt with ablitzkrieg of inquests,Amin Fahim should bethe one under the gun

KUNWAR KHULDUNE SHAHIDSub-Editor

MAHEEN SYEDSub-Editor

Indian prejudice

This is with regards to the news item,“Industrialists grill Indian commerceminister” published on 15th February. It isanother case of blatant Indian prejudiceagainst Pakistan, and that has been clearlyexhibited by their commerce minister Anandsharma and his crew’s words. The Indianswant us to completely eliminate the negativelist, which they don’t want to do anythingwith regards to the non trade barriers at all.Without New Delhi’s cooperation, thedecision to grant India the MFN statuswould be a disaster and it would furtherexacerbate our economy. Instead ofcomplying with the Indian contingent’sdemand, we should have taken a strongerstance against them and stressed theimmediate removal of the NTBs.

SAAd MubARik

LAhORE

The MFN question

This is with regards to the newsreport, “Textile ministry questionstransparency of MFN to India”published on 18th February. I haveserious doubts about the sincerity ofIndian MFN claims and have beensaying it for a long time. The first stepshould be to ask India to open tradefor Pakistan exports and then go tonext level. Pakistan should demandremoval of all NTB on Indian sidebefore activating MFN. I think thatone has to take things in perspective,and even if one ignores the historicalanimosity between the two sides, thecurrent trade dynamics and heavily infavour of India. And this needs tochange, before taking any steps.

pARvEz

kARAchI

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