Himalayan News Service

Islamabad, May 4:

In a major pointer that the sub-continental thaw is on the fast track, Pakistan has permitted the duty free import from India of five food items — meat/live animals, potatoes, tomatoes, onion and garlic — through the land route.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting yesterday of the Price Control Committee chaired by premier Shaukat Aziz to review price situation in the country and suggest ways to overcome inflationary pressures.

The meeting reviewed the prices of essential edible items in the capitals of neighbouring countries and decided to permit the import of five basic items. Of the 11 items reviewed by the committee, nine were priced 15-50 per cent higher in Islamabad than in New Delhi, The News reported today.

Salman Shah, the prime minister’s adviser on finance, said the import of edibles had been allowed from neighbouring countries since prices there were lower.“For all practical purposes the decision benefits India, and to some extent China, as there was no possibility of importing such items from Afghanistan, which was already dependent on imports, or from Tehran, where beef and mutton is sold at Rs 375 Pakistani Currency (PC) per kg,” it reported.