NEW DELHI, Nov 3: The energetic deputy chief minister of India’s Punjab state would lead a delegation to Pakistan on Monday to ex-plore strengthening bilateral trade, and, some reports said, he would also discuss the delay in naming a public square in Lahore after the anti-colonial icon Bhagat Singh.

Hailing the opening of trade ties through the Attari-Wagah border, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said in Gurgaon he would visit Pakistan on Monday to explore strengthening trade between ‘eastern’ and ‘western’ Punjab.

Mr Badal was quoted as saying that Indian Punjab had been waiting to be allowed to export its agricultural produce, including wheat and paddy, directly to Pakistan and Central Asian countries, as also Iran, by road.

He said the opening of the Attari-Wagah border for trade was a ‘game-changer’, with a potentially huge impact for all of north India.

He said that once import and export of nearly 6,000 items was allowed through the Attari-Wagah land route the economic profile of north India could change.

Former Indian minister and Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, a member of the delegation, said: “The delegation led by Sukhbir will take up the renaming of chowk with Pak Punjab government during its visit from Nov 6.”

He said the Indian team would approach the Punjab government to impress upon the authorities to rename the Shadman chowk, where Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged on March 23, 1931.