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| Cross-LoC trade on despite tension | | | early times report
SRINAGAR, Jan 12: The cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road is continuing, notwithstanding the current tension on the LoC. Goods worth Rs 19.92 crore were exchanged during this week at the Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre in Uri sector, which witnessed the first round of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops on January 6, official sources said.
They said goods worth Rs 8.19 crore were exported from this side to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir while goods worth Rs 11.73 crore were imported.
Pakistan has stopped the cross LoC bus service on Chakan Da Bagh route following ceasefire violations.
While two Indian soldiers were killed in cross LoC raid from Pakistani side, Islamabad claimed that two of its soldiers were killed in separate incidents of ceasefire violations by Indian army over the past week. Meanwhile, a report from Chandigarh said trade between India and Pakistan continues to be normal at Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar despite rising tension.
Traders, however, fear losses apprehending that suspension of cross-LoC trade activity at Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmi may affect trade at Attari-Wagah route.
"There is no effect on trade at Attari-Wagah land route at all (because of tension between India and Pakistan)," the official said.
About 270 trucks laden with different commodities today crossed over to Pakistan through Attar-Wagah land route while 100 trucks from Pakistan entered Indian territory.
Currently, India is exporting cotton, soymeal, polymers to Pakistan through land route and Pakistan is exporting gypsum, cement among other things.
"Trade is going as usual at Attari-Wagah land route in spite of strain between India and Pakistan," Amritsar based trader Jaspal Singh said.
However, he said that importers and exporters were in a state of panic after cross-LoC trade in Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir came to a halt on Thursday.
"Traders from various parts of the country like Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, who export items through Attari- Wagah land route are tense as they fear what will happen to their investments if the trading activity is stopped by Pakistan at this border also," Singh said.
India and Pakistan had agreed to start cross border movement of trucks in October 2007 after a gap of sixty years from Attari to boost bilateral trade.
India had set up an Integrated Check Post at Attari in Amritsar at a cost of Rs 150 crore last year.
Pakistan government currently allows import of 137 items from India through Wagah land route. The total volume of trade at Attari-Wagah route is about Rs 2,200 crore including imports worth Rs 700 crore from Pakistan. |
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