The authorities in Pakistan have expressed concern over delays in removing non-tariff barriers by India, ahead of an important ministerial meeting in the coming week.

The Indian government officials have responded by saying that the delay is only due to procedural reason and the other side's concerns will be addressed. India's Commerce minister Anand Sharma is expected to meet his Pakistani counterpart, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, in Islamabad next week.

The Government in Pakistan is expected to announce a negative import list, a step that will significantly boost trade between the two countries. Pakistani officials have said that the two sides had agreed to sign agreements to remove non-tariff barriers in February 2012.

According to officials, Fahim had written to Sharma in November that the deadline for agreements should be respected. Pakistan will soon announce a "short" negative list, which is a first step towards granting the most favored nation status to India.

Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar had welcomed the decision by Pakistani government to grant the Most Favored Nation (MFN) status to India. Pakistan Commerce Secretary Zafar Mahmood had said during the sixth round of talks between the two comerce secretaries that the countries are looking to take the dialogue process forward at the beginning of the second round of the composite dialogue.