Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accepted Pakistan’s invitation to visit the country, according to commerce minister Amin Fahim.
Mr Fahim extended the invitation during a meeting with Dr Singh in New Delhi on Monday at the end of his visit to India, said a statement issued by Pakistan’s commerce ministry.
On his return from India, Mr Fahim told reporters that Dr Singh had accepted the invitation to visit Pakistan. He did not say when Dr Singh would visit Islamabad. Dr Singh said India and Pakistan should jointly fight poverty. He assured Mr Fahim of the Indian government’s full cooperation in boosting trade between the two countries. India’s commerce minister Anand Sharma is scheduled to visit Pakistan in November with a delegation of businessmen.
Mr Fahim had extended his three-day visit to India and visited Sufi shrines and other tourist spots.
Mr Fahim expressed the hope that all hurdles will be removed to achieve the bilateral trade target of $6 billion over the next three years. He said Dr Singh had told him that India wanted to see Pakistan as a prosperous country.
The Indian government’s decision to withdraw its veto in the World Trade Organisation on a EU duty-free trade package would benefit Pakistan, he said. — PTI