Security tensions in Indian Kashmir halt trade

MUZAFFARABAD: Trade across the Line of Control (LoC) has remained suspended for two weeks due to the perilous security situation in Indian Kashmir.

On Tuesday, no trucks left Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) for Indian Kashmir and traders from the Indian side did not send any goods to AJK for barter.

“Traders in Indian Kashmir are on a strike against the government over the simmering situation [in that region] and have decided not to trade this week,” said director general of the Cross-LoC Trade and Travel Authority Brigadier (retd) Ismail Khan. Under these conditions, Khan said, it isn’t possible to predict when trade will resume.

Losses are expected to run into millions as goods that were to be transported to Indian Kashmir are rotting in warehouses where they were dumped.

“Goods worth millions that were to be sent to Indian Kashmir early last month had to be dumped as they could not be sold there,” said Ejaz Ahmed Mir, who trades in dry fruit and grams. He sends his produce from Muzaffarabad to Srinagar via the Chakothi trade route. Mir said that he has to receive goods worth Rs2.5 million from Indian Kashmir.

Cross-LoC trade began on October 21, 2008, when Pakistan and India agreed to start a truck service as part of internationally-facilitated confidence building measures. Under the agreement, 21 items were initially allowed to be traded, including fresh and dry fruits, vegetables, grams, spices, rice and furniture.

Trade takes place every week on Tuesday and Wednesday and trucks are allowed to cross the LoC at two points: Chakothi in district Hattian Bala and Tetrinote in Rawalakot. Trade was suspended on July 13, when Indian Kashmir erupted in protest against the killing of demonstrators by security forces.

Meanwhile, hundreds of activists belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir National Students Federation and Jammu and Kashmir Awami National party marched to Tetrinote. They demanded that intra-Kashmir trade be permitted to Kashmiri traders and passengers should be issued state subject certificates as travel documents to cross the LoC through the weekly bus service that started on April 7, 2005.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2010.