Thursday, December 8 2005 16:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Shipping officials of India and Pakistan today (Dec 8, 2005) held talks in the port city of Karachi to amend a 1975 protocol between the two nations to permit each other's merchant ships to carry cargo for different countries and allow third-country vessels to pick up cargo from their ports.

A six-member delegation headed by Sushil Kumar, Joint Secretary (Shipping) held talks with shipping officials of Pakistan to review the existing protocol in the light of the peace process between the two countries and amend it to meet the growing trade between them.

The existing Shipping Protocol only permitted the Indian and Pakistani vessels to carry point-to-point cargo to each other's ports and bars the third-country vessels to pick up cargo from their ports.

The two countries in principle agreed to amend the protocol to permit both Indian and Pakistani vessels to carry each other's cargo to different countries as well as allow third-country vessels to pick up cargo from each other's ports, which could help both the countries save costs.

The amendment was contemplated as the trade between the two countries was growing in view of the current peace process between them.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz recently said while Pakistan has reservations about opening the Wagah border point to permit transportation of Indian goods to Afghanistan, it has no objection to India using Karachi port to ship the same goods through Karachi for land-locked Afghanistan.

The three-day talks in Karachi would focus in finalising the modalities and an agreement in this regard.

Officials said the two sides could also informally discuss the proposal to revive a ferry service between Karachi and Mumbai.