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| LoC trade still intact | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu/Srinagar, Dec 2: Amidst deepening fears on breakdown of Jammu and Kashmir specific Confidence Building Measures in aftermath of terror attack in Mumbai, the fragile trans-Line of Control trade moved smoothly on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route but gates were shut at Poonch-Rawalakote crossing.
In view of Indo-Pak tirade following Mumbai terror storming, the traders in Jammu and Kashmir were the fears of a breakdown of trans-LoC trade which essentially is a Confidence Building Measure between India and Pakistan for easing ties on Kashmir. However, as of now the trans-LoC trade has not been threatened.
Tuesday is the scheduled day of exchange of Lorries on the Line of Control and this event today went off smoothly on Srinagar Muzaffarabad route. Four trucks from this side crossed over the Line of Control while eleven trucks loads of goads came from the Pakistan administered Kashmir. Administration has said that, so far, there is no visible threat of breakdown to the trans-LoC trade.
However, there was no exchange of goods on Poonch-Rawalakote route. Some traders had wanted to send across the goods but there was no official to guide at the LoC crossing point. Repeated attempts were made to reach the district administration in Poonch and department of Industries and Commerce but the concerned officers did not respond.
Meanwhile, expressing their deep concern on fallout of Mumbai terror attack on Jammu-Kashmir peace process, two main political in the state have called for restraint.
In separate statements, former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed urged the Indian government not to embark on "punitive measures" against Pakistan as it would cast a shadow on Jammu and Kashmir.
National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah, who attended the all-party meeting called by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday, said it was not proper to blame Pakistan directly. "It is a matter of proper investigation how terrorists reached Mumbai using the sea route. Without completing investigations, it is not proper to blame Pakistan," he said.
Abdullah called for strengthening Joint Anti-Terror Mechanism to fight terrorism together in South Asia. He said it appears that Islamabad was not involved in Mumbai incidents. ''How can Pakistan be involved in Mumbai terrorist attacks when their Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was himself touring India to discuss terrorism and other issues," Abdullah asked.
Mufti, chief of the Peoples Democratic Party, said the Mumbai incidents were testing times for the leadership of India and Pakistan. "In this depressing scenario, South Asia's security and stability would largely depend on how the leadership of India and Pakistan confronts the challenge," he said.
Mufti asked the Indian government to appreciate the positive signals emanating from Jammu and Kashmir in the ongoing Assembly elections and ensure that the Mumbai attacks do not result in any kind of confrontation in South Asia.
"It is my firm belief that a solution to all problems in the region is possible only within a space provided by cooperation and reconciliation between India and Pakistan, instead of falling into the trap laid by enemies of peace, he said. |
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