( After an unhappy experience with China...)Pakistan drug companies seek trade ties with India,Health

After an unhappy experience with China, Pakistani pharmaceutical companies are keen to enhance business with India, and have asked the Indian government // to relax the stringent visa norms.

Pakistani firms are dissatisfied with the machinery and raw materials provided by the Chinese, apart from the language barrier.

"We face a lot of problems with the Chinese, though their rates are cheaper than the Indian market," Hafiz Usmani, spokesman for the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, told IANS.

He said a number of Pakistani pharmaceutical companies were contacting their Indian counterparts especially for herbal, unani and homoeopathic medicines.

It was easier for the Pakistani traders to access the Indian pharmaceutical companies as compared to the Chinese, said Usmani.

"But the biggest problem for us is getting the Indian visa. if we try to get it through courier services, it takes more than 45 days and usually it is refused on one pretext or another," Usmani said.

He said if businessmen went by themselves to the Indian high commission, they faced a lot of problems and "after standing for hours in long queues, they are told to come again tomorrow".

However, an Indian high commission official said they were processing business visas within 15 days and "no bona fide businessman with proper application and documents is refused a visa."

Nasir M. Qureshi, CEO of Pramount Pharmaceuticals, who is engaged in talks with several Indian companies, said the Indian pharmaceutical industry had prospered.

"It has plants, raw materials for life saving drugs which are, in many cases, the best in region," said Qureshi, who has visited India twice.

"Despite having a quality market in the neighbourhood, we are forced to trade with China due to visa and trade restrictions by both the governments," he said.

"Theoretically both India and Pakistan have eased trade and
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