Sameer Arshad | TNN

New Delhi: Indian and Pakistani textile businessmen met in New Delhi on last week as part of Aman Ki Asha’s business sub-committee on Textiles to promote bilateral trade and peace. Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organized the meeting as a follow up to the first such meeting in May last year. The two sides discussed issues hampering trade and resolved to put a determined effort to overcome problems and promote business for lasting peace.

CII Steering Committee on Technical Textiles chairperson Sushil Kapoor said the CII has a long history of engaging with Pakistani businesses and was keen to facilitate greater cooperation in the textiles sector, the largest employer in Pakistan’s private sector. “We organized a Made in Pakistan show in Chandigarh in December 2009 and all the goods were sold in one go.” Kapoor said the show’s runaway success proved that there is a great demand for Pakistani good in India. “We would again organize the show in March to deepen ties.” Kapoor cautioned that challenges remain and that businessmen from the two countries should join hands and work hard for unhindered trade.

Pakistan-India CEOs Business Forum president Amin Hashwani, who led the five-member Pakistani delegation, said the two sides met to understand each others’ views, explore potentials, impediments to the trade and agree on specific initiatives to overcome them. “They would take into account the current situation and the given parameters and come up with a set of policy recommendations for the two governments to implement for mutually beneficial results,” he said. He said substantial groundwork has been done in promoting bilateral business under Aman Ki Asha banner. “IT sector delegates from India visited Pakistan last year and signed agreements. The initiative is on the track.” He said businessmen are problem solvers and it is appropriate for them to apply their skills to improve business and build bridges between the two countries. “Business would create a vested interest for peace and mutual goodwill.”