Pak to allow more imports from India

Islamabad, May 18 :

Pakistan is likely to allow import of 100 more items from India from the next fiscal.

According to officials, a total of 286 items were cleared by India through diplomatic channels and 15 at the third round of the Joint Study Group (JSG) held in March. At a joint statement issued after that meeting, Pakistan had agreed to consider increasing the number of importable items from India.

The Pakistani business community had demanded permission to import 900 items. After detailed comparison of both lists and keeping in view the interests of the local industry, the commerce ministry identified 100 items.

The sources said that preference would be given to those items on which duty is about five per cent and are not locally manufactured.