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| | Cross-LoC trade resumes after 3 weeks | | | POONCH, July 3: After three weeks of suspension due to volatile situation on Poonch borders, Cross LoC trade was resumed today.
Amid cheers among the traders, twenty trucks exchanged sides through Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch.
Traders, however, faced losses worth crores of rupees due to suspension of trans-LoC trade. The situation remained tense till last week but improved after Pakistani authorities agreed to open the border at Chakan-da-Bagh for Cross LoC bus service yesterday.
Highly placed sources told KTNS that Pakistan army after organising a high level meeting at ‘2 Azad Kashmir Brigade’ decided to open gates of Chakan-Da-Bagh from this week for exchange of passengers and trucks participating in Cross LoC trade. The decision of opening of borders at Chakan-Da-Bagh by Pak army was hailed by passengers and traders of both sides.
Traders faced lot of problems due to suspension of cross trade and many traders were forced to sell their goods at quite cheaper rates in Poonch and Jammu. Indian traders suffered loss worth crores of rupees due to suspension of cross LoC trade.
Pawan Anand president Cross LoC Traders Association, when contacted, said that traders faced losses worth crores of rupees in last 21 days. He said financial losses can be compensated by traders but the loss to Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) are irreparable. He added that it takes many years to develop CBMs and all these were wiped out in a fortnight. He said that there is no proper security for traders from governments of both sides. Now traders are hesitating to participate in cross LoC trade as they are terrified of getting their money blocked in other country. He asked the governments on both parts of divided Kashmir to create such type of facilities that the tense situation on borders will not disturb trade as traders are working to reunite people both sides of divide state.
Krishan Singh, a trader participating in Cross LoC trade said that they faced losses worth crores of rupees as their trucks remained stranded at Trade Facilitation Centre from last three weeks. “Today we dispatched all the trucks to Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK) and now traders are terrified and in a dilemma whether to participate in Cross LoC Trade or not,” he added
From the last three weeks, trade was suspended as Pakistan army refused to open gates of Chakan-da-Bagh due to ceasefire violation by Pakistan army in Krishna Ghati sector, forcing suspension of Cross LoC trade and bus service.
Meanwhile, goods worth Rs 1.97 Lakh were traded today via Chakan Da Bagh.
Official sources said goods worth Rs 1, 97, 82, 435 were traded in 29 trucks between both parts of divided Jammu and Kashmir. 21 trucks rolled out from Trade Centre Ranger nallah to PAK today. These trucks carried bags of red chilly and banana worth Rs 97, 61, 241. From PAK side 9 trucks carrying almonds, dry dates, walnut and herbs worth Rs 100, 21, 194 came to this side.
From Indian side Abdul Hamid Custodian Trade and from PAK side Arshad Mirza TFO monitored the trade. The border opened between 12.08 PM to 12.25 PM and second time from 5.13 PM to 5.20 PM.
PAK traders returned 52 bags of chilly due to poor quality and exorbitant rates.
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