Wednesday, July 20 2005 18:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: India has conveyed to Pakistan its willingness to permit export through the Wagah border of cattle, vegetables and four other perishable items badly needed to bring down prices in the domestic markets in Islamabad.

"Pakistan had requested India to allow duty free import of cattle, meat, onion, potato, tomato and garlic and we have conveyed our willingness to permit such imports through the Wagah border despite Pakistan's reluctance to open the land border in a big way to boost bilateral trade," Indian High Commission officials here said.

About reports in the Pakistan media that, India was delaying the exports to press for its demand to fully open the Wagah border for bilateral trade and transit to Afghanistan, High Commission officials said the delay appeared to be due to differences between Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan.

Khan, a son of former ISI General who openly opposed trade with India without progress on Kashmir, appeared not too keen to implement the May decision of the Pakistan cabinet to import five items to bring down prices and to peg inflation.

Khan, who was also a strong contender for Prime Minister's post, headed a dissident group along with former Prime Minister, Zafarullah Khan Jamali to oust Aziz.

Indian diplomats and officials of Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said, some of the five items have already been imported from India. Indian officials said it was up to Pakistan to speed up procedures to facilitate imports on a large scale.

Reports here said big hotels in Karachi had already imported 60-65 containers of beef and mutton from India.