India and Pakistan aim to double their trade volume in three years. Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said this after he arrived Lahore in Pakistan with a large business delegation.He will hold talks with Pakistani authorities for normalising trade relations between the two countries.

After crossing the border, Mr. Sharma was received by his Pakistani Counterpart, Makhdoom Amin Fahim. Mr. Sharma who is on a four day visit to Pakistan later presided over the concluding function of three day long India show in which 400 exhibitors participated.

Earlier, talking to reporters at the border, he said, the objective of his visit is to take forward the bilateral economic ties between the two countries.

Our Correspondent adds that this is the first substantive visit of Indian Commerce Minister to Pakistan since Independence.