KARACHI: A high-level Indian delegation of experts from the Information Technology (IT) sector will visit Pakistan in December to explore the possibilities of business collaboration between Pakistan and India’s IT and telecom sectors.

The visit is being arranged and facilitated by Aman ki Asha, the peace initiative launched by Pakistan and India’s giant media groups, the Jang Group and the Times of India, to normalise relations between the two nations.

Members of the Aman ki Asha IT Committee (formed as a follow up to Aman ki Asha’s Indo-Pak business meet in Delhi, May 2010) met on Thursday to review arrangements for the Indian delegation’s visit to Pakistan.

The meeting was chaired by Jehan Ara, president, Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), and was attended by M.Yusuf Jan, chief executive Mixit Technologies; Ashraf Kapadia, Managing Director, Systems Limited; Humayun Bashir of IBM; Ali Jameel, CEO of TPL Holdings; Naseer Akhtar of Infotech; and freelance journalist Babar Ayaz. Industrialist Amin Hashwani was also present.

The meeting also discussed the need to explore ways to export services to India and utilise the high-end expertise available in India.

Participants agreed to approach the government to facilitate IT trade between the two countries. The Indian delegation, due to visit Pakistan on December 6-8, 2010, will include some seven CEOs of top Indian IT companies along with their managers.

They will hold business meetings as well as participate in a lively agenda of social gatherings and networking lunches and dinners. At the committee meeting, it was agreed to arrange the visit of the Indian delegation to the IT industry and at least one university with an IT faculty.

The committee meeting suggested holding a follow-up meeting after two or three months, between the visiting CEOs of Indian companies and the host Pakistani companies in order to take forward the agenda of economic and business cooperation between India and Pakistan.