Resumption of the composite dialogue process would propel trade to over $5 billion by 2010, the chamber said. Bilateral trade stood at $2 billion in 2007-08.
"Trade between India and Pakistan could have exceeded the projected levels of $5 billion earlier, had the dialogue process not discontinued in view of internal disturbances in Pakistan," chamber President Venugopal Dhoot said. Bilateral trade increased from $235.74 million in 2001-02 to around $2 billion in 2007-08.
In a paper submitted to the Ministry of External Affairs, Dhoot said restoration of the dialogue process would also facilitate early execution of the Iran-Pakistan-India and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline projects.
