A soldier at a ceremony for 1965 war martyrs in Amritsar on Monday. (PTI)

New Delhi, Sept. 22: India and Pakistan today finalised modalities for trade across the Line of Control, which are likely to be announced after Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari meet on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

Trading is expected to begin on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalkot routes next month.

A Pakistani team headed by Aijaz Ahmed Chowdhury, the additional secretary in the foreign ministry, met Indian officials today.

“We have finalised the modalities. We will submit it to our principals, our bosses. Hopefully, it will work out,” Chowdhury said.

Asked when trading would begin, he said: “Political masters will decide.”

Foreign ministry sources said the two sides proposed to start cross-border commerce next month, but the dates were likely to be announced after the Singh-Zardari meeting.

The two countries fine-tuned logistical matters like items to be traded, and customs and security aspects.

India’s list includes carpets, rugs, wall hangings, papier mache, shawls including pashmina, tapestry, cricket bats, furniture and other wooden items, silk and silk products, Kashmiri fruit, dry fruit (almonds, walnuts), Kashmiri spices, flowers and Kashmiri saffron.

On Pakistan’s list are precious stones, papier mache powder, gabbas and nawdas (carpet cloth), furniture, marble, onion, garlic and medicinal herbs.

The foreign secretaries also exchanged lists of commodities that could come under the zero-tariff regime and agreed to indicate the items they were willing to receive.

A delegation of the Muzaffarabad chambers of commerce is expected to visit Srinagar and Jammu “after a month”, the sources said.

Border ‘stareback’

After two years of mellowed posturing, Indian and Pakistani border guards at the Attari post have reverted to “aggressive” gestures during the flag-lowering ceremony at sunset.

“When the Pakistani Rangers started to stare at their Indian counterparts during the evening parade, our jawans ignored them but hundreds of people in the viewers’ gallery objected and urged the BSF to reply in the same tone,” BSF deputy inspector-general Mohammed Aqeel said.