Obstacles: Report blames Indian hawks for impeding trade with Pakistan
Intelligence report says contraband smuggling in goods trains was staged.
Intelligence report says contraband smuggling in goods trains was staged. PHOTO: INP
LAHORE:
Some elements within the Indian state organs and other stakeholders are hindering trade between Pakistan and India, an analysis report prepared by a Pakistani intelligence agency revealed.
The two-page report stated that both India and Pakistan are making efforts to normalise their ties by initiating a series of measures both at government and public levels.
However, there is a lack of sincerity on the Indian side and ‘hawkish elements’ in Indian state organs and other stakeholders are not on the same page with their government, it added.
A recent example of this has been the repeated allegations of smuggling of contraband through goods trains from Pakistan to India.
According to the report, as per the existing procedures, it is not possible to smuggle contraband in trains inside Pakistani territory since the wagons are inspected and loaded in the presence of Pakistan Customs and Railways officials. After loading, they are re-inspected and both departments lock the wagons with their own separate seals. Another inspection is carried out at the Wagah railway station.
According to the report, tampering of seals and loading of alleged contraband is manipulated by the Indian mafia supported by agencies between Atari and Amritsar.This fact is further authenticated with the arrest of a rail cargo porter and ASI Ranjit Singh in Amritsar for their involvement in a staged seizure on October 20, 2012.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence booked the ASI in connection with the recovery of 23kg of heroin from a Pakistani goods. Porter Puran Singh was arrested after he tried to tamper with the metal and paper seal of the bogey containing the heroin.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2013.
Some elements within the Indian state organs and other stakeholders are hindering trade between Pakistan and India, an analysis report prepared by a Pakistani intelligence agency revealed.
The two-page report stated that both India and Pakistan are making efforts to normalise their ties by initiating a series of measures both at government and public levels.
However, there is a lack of sincerity on the Indian side and ‘hawkish elements’ in Indian state organs and other stakeholders are not on the same page with their government, it added.
A recent example of this has been the repeated allegations of smuggling of contraband through goods trains from Pakistan to India.
According to the report, as per the existing procedures, it is not possible to smuggle contraband in trains inside Pakistani territory since the wagons are inspected and loaded in the presence of Pakistan Customs and Railways officials. After loading, they are re-inspected and both departments lock the wagons with their own separate seals. Another inspection is carried out at the Wagah railway station.
According to the report, tampering of seals and loading of alleged contraband is manipulated by the Indian mafia supported by agencies between Atari and Amritsar.This fact is further authenticated with the arrest of a rail cargo porter and ASI Ranjit Singh in Amritsar for their involvement in a staged seizure on October 20, 2012.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence booked the ASI in connection with the recovery of 23kg of heroin from a Pakistani goods. Porter Puran Singh was arrested after he tried to tamper with the metal and paper seal of the bogey containing the heroin.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2013.