Islamabad, Feb 16: An “enabling environment” was prevailing between India and Pakistan to promote trade relations and people-to-people contacts, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Thursday.
 Gilani made the remarks during a meeting with an Indian business delegation that is accompanying Commerce Minister Anand Sharma on a visit to Pakistan.
 The people-to-people interaction and exchange of high-level visits of parliamentarians would strengthen “meaningful and productive contacts”, the premier said.
 Recalling his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Mohali during the semi-final of the cricket World Cup last year, Gilani said Singh is a “sincere leader who was committed to normalize relations between India and Pakistan”.
 He said the visit to Mohali had also given him an opportunity to meet the top Indian leadership, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
 Gilani further said he was looking forward to the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Pakistan.
 He said his recent meeting with an Indian parliamentarian delegation was a “step in the right direction” as far as people-to-people contacts were concerned.
 Gilani added he was looking forward to the visit of the Lok Sabha Speaker to Pakistan. The premier asked R B Mittal, the leader of the business delegation, to convey his best wishes to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
 The Indian businessmen expressed their resolve to build durable trade relations between the two countries. They expressed gratitude over the hospitality extended to them in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 IST