New York, May 13: As Indo-Pak leaders take steps to improve trade ties, India has said efforts should be made not to allow the forward movement be derailed by “entities and forces” which have held the two sides “to ransom” in the past.
“We have to be careful. There are entities, forces which are not entirely on the same page when it comes to normalization of trade relations. There are demons within and forces outside. We have to keep our fingers crossed, take the necessary administrative actions so that no aberration or derailment takes place of the kinds that we have experienced in the past which holds us to ransom,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri said addressing an event on Indo-Pak trade ties at Mastercard’s headquarters in Purchase near here.
 Puri described discussions to grant Most Favored Nation (MFN) status to India, open more border trade routes and allow movement of businessmen as being “steady steps in the positive direction” and those that have the potential to be a “game-changer” for the two nations if managed properly.
 “The political leadership in India and in Pakistan now are resolved to make sure things really get better,” he said.
 Puri’s Pakistani counterpart Abdullah Hussain Haroon said in order to sustain this progress, the two countries “have to keep talking” with each other and realize the “strong interdependence” that exists between India and Pakistan.
 “We have to realize that we have to coexist. Why should we burn our energies in hate, dividing ourselves and letting things go to waste. Let us use our resources, try to understand each others’ requirements and pool towards them. There is potential for us to work together. And when we are sitting one to one we tend to be more realistic with each other,” he added.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 13 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 13 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 IST