TADA officials urges Indian authorities to resume trade for a short span of time so that traders can clear their dues. ILLUSTRATION: JAMAL KHURSHID.
According to officials, a two-member delegation of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Travel and Trade Authority (TADA) headed by its Director General Brig (retd) Muhammad Ismali and Trade Facilitation Officer (TFO) Basharat Iqbal met with their counterparts on Chakothi Bridge linking the divided parts of the Himalayan state, some 60 kilometers from Muzaffarabad.
The two-member team from Indian side of Kashmir told their AJK counterparts that they have to follow the Indian government and Indian commerce ministry’s orders which do not allow them to receive ‘Made in Pakistan’ goods through the LoC.
Sources further revealed that the AJK team tried their best to convince their Indian counterparts that trade items were being bought from Pakistan by Kashmiris settled in Pakistan’s urban centres.
TADA officials urged the Indian authorities to resume trade for a short span of time so that hundreds of traders across the LoC could clear their dues with each other, according to an official, who added that dues of over Rs200 million across the LoC are pending.
The Intra-Kashmir Trade Union Secretary Information Shaukat Hussain told The Express Tribune that trade across the LoC was one of the main confidence building measures signed between the two countries to promote the peace process in South Asia.
“Indian conditions to exclude the Pakistani goods from LoC trade list is a ploy to end trade which will be a setback to the peace efforts between the two parts of Kashmir,” Hussain added.
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I don't know what kind of trade India wants just to send Made in India goods across LoC while banning Made in Pakistan from the same route,,,,,,,,,,,,,,either nonsense approach or a tactic to close LoC trade once for all,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Banning Made in Pakistan from LoC and allowing Made in India item is just to close this trade as I got from the this story...............
@Samina
Indian goods come to Pakistan majorly via Dubai or the sea route.
@antanu
Pakistan trades with India on the basis of a positive list, surely being an "Indian" (wink wink) you should know.
Good step by Indian authorities .I also request Indian authorities to close down Wagha border and create a border post at Gujurat .
@Virkaul: @ Virkaul..I think the correspondent has nicely narrated the issue as I have also been the part of Al Jazeera English crew in Oct 2008 when the trade between the two sides of Kashmir was opened. The documents we were given by the trade facilitators of both sides of Kashmir showed that the LoC trade would be based on barter system between the two parts of Kashmir without any tax. Okay If Indians had any problem then why they did allow the LoC trade for five years. The Kashmiri traders were doing nicely their job while sending and receiving both Made in Pakistan and Made in India goods across LoC till Sept 2013 . To ban Made in Pakistan and allow Made in India is an ample proof of nonsense and stupid agenda of India .Besides this nonsense ban on Pakistani goods, it might be a bid to close the LoC trade once for all. Obviously If Indians say trade is just for Indian goods then why Pakistan and Azad Kashmir administration will allow to continue the trade. The LoC trade has been started with the mutual understanding of Pakistan and India to bridge the gape between the divided families of Kashmir through the LoC trade who are settled in Lahore, Islamabad , Karachi, Mumbia, Delhi and Amratsar so besides Kashmir made goods they have to trade Made in India and Made in Pakistan items as well.... To allow Made in India and to ban Made in Pakistan is a bid form Indian side to close this LoC trade once for all as Indian military establishment is not happy to bring close the divided Kashmiris across the Line of Control.............
@ Virkaul..I think the correspondent has nicely narrated the issue as I have also been the part of Al Jazeera English crew in Oct 2008 when the trade between the two sides of Kashmir was opened. The documents we were given by the trade facilitators of both sides of Kashmir showed that the LoC trade would be based on barter system between the two parts of Kashmir without any tax. Okay If Indians had any problem then why they did allow the LoC trade for five years. The Kashmiri traders were doing nicely their job while sending and receiving both Made in Pakistan and Made in India goods across LoC till Sept 2013 . To ban Made in Pakistan and allow Made in India is an ample proof of nonsense and stupid agenda of India .Besides this nonsense ban on Pakistani goods, it might be a bid to close the LoC trade once for all. Obviously If Indians say trade is just for Indian goods then why Pakistan and Azad Kashmir administration will allow to continue the trade. The LoC trade has been started with the mutual understanding of Pakistan and India to bridge the gape between the divided families of Kashmir through the LoC trade who are settled in Lahore, Islamabad , Karachi, Mumbia, Delhi and Amratsar so besides Kashmir made goods they have to trade Made in India and Made in Pakistan items as well.... To allow Made in India and to ban Made in Pakistan is a bid form Indian side to close this LoC trade once for all as Indian military establishment is not happy to bring close the divided Kashmiris across the Line of Control.............
It appears the correspondent has filed the report without understanding the issue. He is confusing special agreement between two countries to trade goods manufactured in J&K on both sides of the border at 'No Duty' with international trade that is conducted based on duties as agreed mutually. Mixing them causes loss of revenue to Govts on both sides.
It is good that there is thinking in NS govt of granting MFN status to India but substantial number of people misunderstand the term MFN and do not want to proceed on it. Ultimately, Pakistan will have to move on with changing times.
ETBLOGS1987
ET Mods - There is a lot of inaccurate/outdated information provided by many posters. Please allow fact based rebuttals.
@It Is (still) Economy Stupid: Your apology was unnecesssary. @John was referring to an agreement in principle to grant MFN to India which was to be implemented by December 2012. It was in lieu of India withdrawing its WTO objection to Pakistan specific duty waivers by EU. India honoured its agreement in 2011 itself. Pakistan has failed to honour its commitment yet. http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-08-31/news/416422171mfn-status-most-favoured-nation-negative-list-regime
@Samina: Madam, this refers to duty free trade across LOC which is to exchange goods between AJK and Indian Kashmir. Pakistani goods cannot and should not be allowed through this duty free route when Indian goods would not be allowed into Pakistan through this route. This is pure and simple attempt at smuggling which should not be permitted. Pakistani goods are not refused at Waghah which is an actual border and from where Indian goods are permitted also.
@antanu: "@Gratgy: correction…..there is no restriction on indian goods.please get your fact right before making baseless comments."
India has given Pakistan an MFN. Pakistan has not. If you do not think this is a restriction then clearly you are the one that is uninformed. Moreover Pakistani goods are not restricted at Waghah after paying normal custom duties. It is the duty free trade across LOC which Pakistan is trying to exploit - which is being stopped.
@Rabbani: "No wonder, anything that benefits IoK doesn’t go down well with rest of India."
Sorry Indian Kashmir gets billions of dollars of subsidy from Indian federation. AJK gets nothing from Pakistan finance commission. Indian Kashmir send legislatiors to national parliament, AJK gets no representation in Pakistani Parliament. The itra-Kashmir trade agreement is entirely between Indian Kashmir and AJK. Naturally India will not allow Pakistan to misuse it for smuggling Pakistani goods into India duty free.
@Ali: And India makes rapists.
@John: No Sir, this is not accomplished yet
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Pakistan-to-grant-MFN-status-to-India/articleshow/22407883.cms
Why should India allow smuggling of goods across LoC? The trade across LoC is for Kashmir manufactured goods in both parts of Kashmir. They change hands without duty. Why would Pakistani traders act dishonestly to push the goods which are no PoK manufactured? If that is how Pakistani traders wish to trade, then India should stop trading at LoC and force everything via Wagah.And I am surprised at the attitude of Pakistani commentators here. For all practical purpose, India is a hostile country for them and they still want India to treat them royally.
couples of things only made in pakistan terrorists, suicide bomb, heroine
@Ayesha: Ask the Author if India allows Made in Pakistan items through Wagha or not? Trade agreement is for trade through border check posts, not through LOC.
@Samina: LOC and border are two different things! India and pakistan has trade agreements for trade across border(examply wagha in punjab).
hindustanis please keep insulting this nation and it will keep begging at your feet to play cricket and meet our prime minister and give visas to other beaggars
@John: Thanks for update. My apologies.
@ayesha which raw material u r talking abt....
@It Is (still) Economy Stupid:
I think you missed something.
Pak grants MFN status to India - The Hindu http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pak-grants-mfn-status-to-india/article2591731.ece
@IndiaSol: Stop being arrogant.... stop your superiority complex? says the man coming to a pakistani website to tell pakistanis about how they should behave....
irony much?
What was that? MFN? ...
@IndiaSol: 1. Stop being ignorant.
That's it.
Economies of the world follow rules made by World Trade Organization. Under WTO Pakistan is obliged to give India MFN. No MFN no trade. "trade items were being bought from Pakistan by Kashmiris settled in Pakistan’s urban centres."This is another line NS is planning to use in press interviews to prop up K word during his visit to US. May be the favorite breakfast cereal for Pakistani is "Special K".
@Gratgy: correction.....thete is no restriction on indian goods.please get your fact right before making baseless comments.
No wonder, anything that benefits IoK doesn't go down well with rest of India.
0 Stop supporting terrorism. 1. Stop being arrogant. 2. Quit you superiority complex 3. Stop persecuting Hindus, Sikhs, Shias, Christians
Then we will trade with you.
India has never negotiated in good faith. It allows imports of raw materials but finished goods are never allowed through.
@Gratgy: u r absolutely wrong. U need to visit Pakistani markets to see how many items are very easily available in Pakistan that come from India and are very clearly labelled as "made in india". And in certain cases, the label also says, "Made in India; specially packed for export in Pakistan"
Why should India allow Made in Pakistan goods access when Pakistan doesn't allow Made in India goods?