Pakistan's Minister of Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan has directed officials to draft a comprehensive strategy to enhance trade cooperation with Iran ahead of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's visit to Islamabad at the end of March.
Islamabad's potential to strengthen business ties with Tehran has substantially increased following removal of economic sanctions on Iran.
Khan, who was presiding over a meeting, instructed his officials to prepare proposals for Rouhani's visit.
Officials of Ministry of National Food Security and Research, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Federal Board of Revenue, representatives of traders, rice and kinnow associations and two officials of the Iranian Ministry of Trade visiting Pakistan attended the meeting.
Khan's decision to call for a trade proposal may just be another way to mend its trade since a report by the Pakistan Business Council (PBC) revealed huge discrepancies in the bilateral trade data available.
The report warned that Pakistan-Iran trade was continuously shrinking for the last five years; while China continued to be Iran's top trading partner.