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| PoK trade delegation likely to put off visit | | Jammu traders push fresh list of 20 items | | Early Times Report
Jammu | Sept 18
What should have sanely happened in the present atmosphere of mistrust, the scheduled Jammu and Kashmir visit of traders from Pakistan administered Kashmir is all set to be put off for another three weeks to a month.
Meanwhile, as the list of commodities to be traded between sides of the Line of Control is being revised, the strong trade and commerce lobby in Jammu is pitching for a better deal to the region. As expected, if the visit of a delegation of AJK (Azad Jammu and Kashmir as it is known there) Chamber of Commerce and Industry gets delayed by few weeks Jammu region stands at better chances of trade which at presents appears to be largely a Kashmir affair.
The 23-member delegation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry from other side of the Line of Control was expected to be in Srinagar on October 22, as per the earlier schedule. The delegation was supposed to be in the state for next five days and on the itinerary was meetings recognized bodies of industry, trade and commerce both in Kashmir and Jammu.
Highly placed sources privy to cross LoC trade related development told EARLY TIMES here this evening that the AJK Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Zulfikar Abbassi has pleaded before the Pakistan’s Ministry of External Affairs to put off the visit for few weeks in view of ongoing month of Ramadan and the forthcoming festival of Eid. It is learnt that most of the members, to be part of the trade delegation, were not willing to travel across in due to the daily fasting.
Sources said that Pakistan’s Ministry of External Affairs was initially reluctant to take this demand as the Chamber was clearly told about the stage of progress with their Indian counterparts and preparations in Jammu and Kashmir. The request was earlier turned down by the Pakistan Foreign Ministry. However, the Chamber again strongly pleaded the case and now it has been reportedly considered by the Foreign Ministry this evening.
An official word from Pakistan Foreign Minister, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs or the Government of Jammu and Kashmir is, however, yet to come.
It may be mentioned here that most of the people, particularly the business community in Jammu region, were not happy with the way the cross-LoC trade was being pushed at this stage. The Government of India has been rushing the early commencement of trade, possible by first week of October, to cool down the rising tempers in Kashmir Valley where lakhs of people had last month trooped to the Line of Control in a symbolic march to the Pakistan administered Kashmir.
Following this, the businessmen and traders in the Kashmir Valley had been suggesting the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad trade route as an alternate to the Srinagar-Jammu trade link after allegations of economic blockade. This has sent an unpleasant signal as the Cross LoC trade was proposed by India and Pakistan as a Confidence Building Measure and not as a trust deficit.
Meanwhile, the revision of list of items to be traded following the apple controversy has brightened up hopes among the traders in Jammu region. Apple, it may be recalled here, was not only the original trade list which led to resentment in the Kashmir Valley. Now since the Government of India has agreed to include apple, the trade list is being revised which has given the traders from Jammu a chance to push for more items.
The Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry is reported to have pushed a list of 20 items to be included in the trade list. Most of these items, including pharmaceuticals and iron bars, are manufactured in Jammu in good quality and huge quantity and are in big demand in Pakistan administered Kashmir. |
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