New Delhi: India's Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has been invited to visit Pakistan to explore grounds for bilateral economic cooperation.

“He has accepted our invitation. We hope to see him and his team in our country soon. We will benefit a lot from his experience as a leading economist,” Muhammad Ismail Qureshi, secretary of Pakistan's water and power ministry, said here Wednesday.

Qureshi said Pakistan's Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Salman Faruqui extended the invitation to Ahluwalia during their meeting here Tuesday, and the latter heartily accepted it.

“Ahluwalia's visit to Pakistan will offer a great opportunity to learn and unlearn a lot of things related to economic and planning issues,” Qureshi told IANS after a meeting with the officials of BSES Limited, a leading power distribution firm.

A high-level Pakistan delegation headed by Faruqui is in India to explore avenues for bilateral cooperation between the two neighbours.

The delegation during a 90-minute meeting Tuesday with Ahluwalia and other top Indian officialsTuesday sought India's help in various fields such as power, agriculture, e-governance and infrastructure.

"We are looking forward to a greater cooperation with India in areas like agriculture, power, infrastructure, rural development and water resources management," Faruqui told reporters Tuesday after the meeting.

The officials from the two sides made presentations, followed by detailed discussions to identify areas where economic collaboration could be enhanced.

The Pakistani delegation was in Mumbai Monday, where it met government officials and representatives of India's major industrial houses.

The visiting delegation included Qureshi, Commerce Secretary Syed Asif Shah, National Assembly member Azeem Daultana and Karachi administration chief Syed Mustafa Kamal.

 

Source : IANS