Arvind Mehta, a joint secretary at India's ministry of commerce and industry, and Rubina Ather, joint secretary of ministry of commerce of Pakistan are heading the delegations that will hold trade talks

Removing trade barriers and spelling out a list of products that the two countries don't want to trade in is on top of the agenda of the meeting, sources said.

The officials are also discussing the blueprint signed by commerce secretaries of the two countries in April this year. The blueprint seeks to allow non-discriminatory trade with India by extending the 'Most Favoured Nation' status, permitting trade of petroleum products and India and Pakistan are holding three-day joint secretary-level talks in New Delhi with a view to boost bilateral trade and investment electricity, and removal of non-tariff barriers by India.

Pakistan, in principle, has agreed to move from 'positive list' to 'negative list' trade regime with India as required under the conventions of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA).

Pakistan maintains a 'positive list' of 1,945 items which are allowed to be imported from India. Under SAFTA, Pakistan operates a sensitive list (negative list) of 1,169 items.

New Delhi has asked Islamabad to prepare the negative list of items that it does not want to import from India