Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said that improvement of ties with Pakistan under the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre will benefit Punjab too, which had suffered in the past.

"I think the policies of our government at the Centre and in Punjab have resulted in improvement of ties with Pakistan. This would help benefit trade and industry of the border state," Sonia said addressing a party rally for the February 13 polls.

Referring to the Amritsar region, the Congress chief, who is on her first leg of electioneering in the state, said it has been the centre of woolen clothes and small scale industries and had suffered too because of its proximity to the border.

She said that Punjab was fast emerging as a prosperous state once again as huge capital has been invested and several new schemes for Dalits and other weaker sections have been launched.

"A new fund has been created and several concessions have been granted," she said adding, that her party was committed to the all round development of the state.