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File photo of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. AFP
India is expected to offer power and petroleum products to boost
Pakistan's energy-starved industry and dwindling economy when Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and President Asif Zardari meet in New Delhi on
Sunday.
The opening of the second gate at the Wagah-Attari border on April 13 is also expected to at least double trade with India.
The opening of the second gate at the Wagah-Attari border on April 13 is also expected to at least double trade with India.
Government sources said that while the one-on-one talks between the
two leaders will touch upon several aspects of bilateral ties, New Delhi
is expected to offer 500MW (megawatts) of power daily through the
Indian northern grid to help Pakistan tackle its energy crisis in the
run-up to the national assembly elections next year.
The power ministries of both countries have been discussing the issue
for the past five months and New Delhi is willing to supply power by
linking up the two Punjab states through the Wagah corridor.
If Pakistan agrees, then a link-up transmission line between the two nations could be established soon.
The Prime Minister is also expected to offer all help to Zardari and
son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to boost Pakistan's economy and revive its
sick textile and light engineering industry, which is facing power
outages.
As Pakistan needs diesel and petroleum products to overcome the
crisis, India is likely to export petroleum products to Islamabad
through the Wagah border from the Bathinda refinery in Punjab.
The issue was discussed during the Indian petroleum secretary's visit to Pakistan recently.
Trade between the two neighbours will also get a boost from April 13,
when the second gate at the Wagah border is opened, dedicated to
unrestricted commercial movement.
Right now, land trade is restricted through the one gate at Wagah,
which sees elaborate ritualistic opening and closing ceremonies.
New Delhi, by helping out Islamabad in times of economic crisis, wants to remove the trust deficit between the two countries.
It will also hope that Islamabad shows some action on terrorist groups targeting India.
It could also translate into the Zardari government wiping out the
negative trade item list totally towards 2012-end and even allowing
India to supply food to Afghanistan through the Wagah-Torkham land
route.
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