The World Bank said bilateral trade between India and Pakistan, now at $1 billion, could be pushed nine times to $9 billion with the removal of barriers relating to politics, infrastructure, corruption and red-tape in the two South Asian neighbours. World Bank Managing Director Graeme Wheeler said despite a common location and history, South Asia was the least-integrated region in the world.

Countries now need to work towards reducing the cost of doing business, improving institutions and addressing infrastructure constraints, he said, indicating that Indo-Pak trade had potential to grow over $9 billion in the next five years if these barriers were adequately addressed.