ISLAMABAD, March 1: An official delegation left for New Delhi on Saturday to review the recommendations of various sub-committees for implementation of certain issues under the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (Safta).

An official source told Dawn that the delegation, headed by Commerce Secretary Syed Asif Shah, would represent Pakistan in the Safta Ministerial Council (SMC) — an apex body of Saarc commerce ministers — to review the progress of various measures taken for the implementation of Safta.

Ahead of the meeting, the official said the Safta committee of experts would discuss the remaining issues relating to smooth implementation of Safta in a meeting to be held on Sunday.

Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Tariq Sayeed will also address the committee of experts. Mr Sayeed will give a presentation of the private sector’s viewpoint on matters relating to intra-Saarc trade, its facilitation and multilateral trade issues.

According to the official, the committee would discuss issues concerning the non-tariff measures, sensitive lists, transport infrastructure, customs and harmonisation of standards, visa facilitation, communication link, banking facilities and insurance and non-tariff barriers.

The Saarc ministerial council in its meeting in Dhaka in August 2006 had received India’s complaint about Pakistan’s non-compliance of the Safta agreement, while Pakistan’s position was that Islamabad had fully complied with the agreement and had initiated trade liberlisation programme from July 1, 2006.

Pakistan considers that its import policy regulations, as they relate to import from India, fall in the category of non-tariff measures.

India has acknowledged Pakistan’s positive list as a non-tariff measure through its notification to the Saarc Secretariat on non-tariff measures, as well as within the report of the committee of experts adopted by the SMC in February 2007.

The SMC meeting, to be headed by Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath in New Delhi, will discuss the report of the committee of experts.

“A sub-group at the technical level is already examining the non-tariff barriers and para-tariff maintained by all the Saarc countries,” said an official, adding the issue raised by India might be addressed in the future deliberations of this group.He said in compliance with Pakistan’s demand for removal of tariff, non-tariff and para-tariff barriers the Indian government had already constituted a committee which would submit a report shortly as part of negotiations under a composite dialogue.

According to the official, New Delhi is also reviewing a list of 20 items for facilitating imports from Pakistan. The two countries have already signed memorandums of understanding for cooperation in various sectors.