Conflict between two truck operators’ unions has adversely affected trade between India and Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border, Hindustan Times reported on Wednesday.
However, trade is expected to normalise by Thursday as Indian district administration intervened to resolve the issue.
While about 100 Indian trucks cross over to Pakistan everyday, around 40 trucks depart from Pakistan on a daily basis. But for the past two days, no Indian truck has been lifting the goods although Pakistan has been sending its trucks as usual. As a result, storage on the Indian side is packed to capacity, the report said.
Pakistan wanted to send 40 trucks to India on Monday, but since goods already dispatched have not been lifted, Indian authorities allowed only 11 trucks from Pakistan to cross.
Although export of goods to Pakistan has not been affected, there is disagreement between truckers regarding lifting of goods coming from Pakistan. The goods coming from Pakistan are piling up at the border and the porters who load the trucks are sitting idle.
Deputy Commissioner of Indian Customs at the Attari border RK Duggal said that “there are two truck operators’ unions – the Amritsar Truck Union and the Attari Truck Union – who want to lift all the goods coming from Pakistan to ensure their monopoly. We have received no written representation from them, but we have heard that both the unions want that their trucks should be allowed to lift goods coming from across the border, he added.
“When we don’t have any space, where will we keep the goods? If the matter is not resolved, Pakistan may stop sending its trucks for the time-being,” he said. Duggal said they cannot intervene, as it is not in their jurisdiction. “But if the issue is settled for the time-being, we will write to the administration for lasting solution,”.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th, 2011.
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