Karachi trade team invites Modi to Pak

The team of Pakistani businessmen were in Ahmedabad for the ongoing Asia Colour Chemicals Mega Exhibition. The delegation had met Modi at his residence on Friday. According to the government statement, “they invited  Modi to visit Pakistan and address the corporate heads of Pakistan’s industries and business on the Gujarat model of development through videoconferencing to be arranged by the Karachi Chamber.”

“They held a detailed discussion on how to develop relations between the two regions,” claimed a statement from the state government adding that the businessmen had also urged Modi to use his good offices to start a direct flight between Ahmedabad and Karachi as Gujarat and Sindh Province has long associations.

Modi who is already in the midst of an image makeover had earlier in September said that the procedure for issuing visas to Pakistanis who want to visit Ajmer Sharif should be relaxed. Addressing a tourism event at Gandhinagar, Modi had said that while many Pakistanis travel to India to watch cricket matches, visas are usually issued only for the match venue. But many of them also want to visit Ajmer Sharif and procedures should be made easy for those who do.

Modi had visited China in mid-November for five days and had claimed that he had taken up the issue of the 22 Indian diamond traders who were languishing in Chinese prison for almost two years for alleged smuggling. It was only on Wednesday that a Chinese Court released 11 out of 22 traders.  Modi on his part thanked the Chinese for acting on his request.