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| Cross-LoC trade modalities finalized | | | AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, Sept 22: In a major confidence-building measure (CBM) related to Jammu and Kashmir, India and Pakistan are expected to launch cross-LoC trade on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalkot routes next month.
Officials of the two countries on Monday finalised modalities for undertaking the commerce, including the list of items that would be traded.
A final decision on the issue, particularly the timing, will be taken when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in New York later this month.
"We have finalised the modalities... We will submit it to our principals, our bosses.. Hopefully, it will work out," Pakistan's Additional Secretary in Foreign Ministry Aijaz Ahmed Chowdhury told reporters here after the meeting.
He said the agreement was for undertaking commerce on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalkot routes.
Asked when the trade will begin, he said "political masters will decide" on that.
Sources said the trade is proposed to begin next month and the dates for it are expected to be announced after the meeting between Singh and Zardari.
During the meeting, the two sides fine-tuned logistical issues like the items to be traded, customs matters and security aspects, they said.
In July, Foreign Secretaries of the two countries had exchanged lists of commodities with zero tariff regime and to begin implementation, each side had agreed to indicate the items they were willing to receive.
A delegation of Chambers of Commerce from Muzaffarabad is expected to undertake a visit to Srinagar and Jammu after a month to discuss various aspects related to the trade, the sources said.
The meeting of the Chambers of the two sides is essential as they actually have to engage in trade, they said.
India has been keen on launching the cross-LoC trade since the bus service was launched on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route in April 2005 but the two countries so far failed to reach a consensus on issues like items to be traded.
Pakistan also has been non-cooperative in enabling Chambers of Commerce of Srinagar and Muzaffarabad preventing them from discussing modalities for trade.
In fact, India had invited business delegation from Muzaffarabad to visit Srinagar and Jammu from on Monday but there was no response from the other side. Pakistan has on Monday agreed to send the delegation after a month |
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