[1]There were some misgivings but on coming here we see that Delhi is a great place and the people are very nice. Where is Dilli Haat?-Will it be open now?,” asked Rehan Bashir, a young Pakistani artist on his first visit to India with the delegation of traders who made Pragati Maidan’s Pavilion No.
18 come alive with a great bazaar called “Lifestyle Pakistan”. Nadeem Ahmed, an onyx dealer, displaying fascinating artefacts, including four feet high vases and 4’x4’ chess tables with 8 inches high chess pieces, said that while many visited his stall, he hardly recorded any sale, or orders or tie-ups. A A charming Hana Khan, 17, and her parents who came from Karachi with their women’s designer clothes marketed under their brand name Lulu’s, enjoyed their sojourn and made some profits.
The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) held the first-ever high-end lifestyle exhibition, with traders from various parts of Pakistan travelling to New Delhi with their products. “Lifestyle Pakistan” showcased over 100 top brands and designers from Pakistan known worldover for their design and quality in fashion textiles and apparel, designer furniture, leather goods, accessories, food products, marble, ornaments and intricate handicrafts, including those of the famous onyx — all mined from Balochistan, but hand-crafted in Karachi.
TDAP chief executive Tariq Puri said, “Focus on trade with countries in our region is our key objective. We are keen to translate cultural, social affinity and strong connect between people of India and Pakistan into increasing bilateral trade, commercial relations. Business delegations and exhibitions of such scale will help explore infinite possibilities and opportunities in bilateral trade. With Lifestyle Pakistan, we present Pakistan’s best to India and look forward to developing synergies in areas of common interest. We are grateful to the commerce ministry of India and the ITPO for their collaboration and extending support for this initiative. We look forward to aligning and developing projects which could further strengthen our ties,”
India’s commerce minister Anand Sharma along with his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Amin Fahim inaugurated the Lifestyle Pakistan exhibition on April 12. Some of leading Pakistani business houses in the exhibition were Gul Ahmed, AlKaram, Hub Leather, Khaadi, Chen One, Bonanza, Shamaeel by Sitara, Nishat & Orient Textile Mills, etc. Among top designers, Faiza Samee, Maria B, Asim Jofa, and Honey Waqar displayed their collections during the four-day exhibition. The Pakistani Food Extravaganza at Pragati Maidan’s Food Court had a spread of delicacies like assorted stuffed naans, kababs, korma and the not to miss, biryani. Last but certainly not the least were musical performances and an art exhibition.
ITPO chairman & MD Rita Menon said, “We welcome this initiative of TDAP and are delighted to collaborate with them. We are confident that the two countries will exchange and blend their respective trade expertise and strengths through this initiative.”
Lifestyle Pakistan was made possible by the construction of a new integrated check post (ICP) at Attari, near Amritsar, along the international border between India and Pakistan. The check post was inaugurated on April 13 by Union home minister P. Chidambaram in the presence of Mr Fahim, Pakistan Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, and Union commerce minister Anand Sharma, among others. The ICP, 30 km from Amritsar (280 km from Chandigarh), which had a soft launch on April 8 prior to its formal inauguration, is spread over nearly 120 acres and built at a cost of nearly `150 crores, will have state-of-the-art facilities, including 16 immigration counters, 12 customs counters, dedicated terminals for cargo and passengers over an area of 4,700 sq m, a truck-parking area of 55,000 sq m and a helipad for emergency needs.
Meanwhile export of terrorism continues unabated. According to a recent editorial in a Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) daily, on one hand Pakistan seems to be keen in promoting ties with India through dialogue aimed at reducing trust deficit, and on the other hand the Pak Army and ISI continue their aid to militants to sustain conflict. Since 2004, even after the border ceasefire, Pakistani troops have constructed 886 bunkers, 261 morchas, 398 towers and 143 border outposts on the Line of Control and the International Boundary in J&K.
Anil Bhat, a retired Army officer, is a defence and security analyst based in New Delhi.
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[1] http://archive.asianage.com/news1jpg-779