Cross-LoC trade resumes between India, Pakistan

Jammu  :  Trade across the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan resumed Tuesday after being suspended due to tension over the Jan 8 killing of two Indian soldiers. Six Pakistani trucks entered the Indian side.

An official handling the cross-LoC trade at Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch district told IANS that Indian trucks could not go to the Pakistani side due to late security clearance.

“The trucks can cross LoC between 10 a.m. and noon, but trucks from India got delayed during security clearance. They are lined up at trade and facilitation centre at Chakan-da-Bagh and will go to the Pakistani side tomorrow,” he said.

Pawan Anand, president of cross-LoC traders association in Poonch, said: “Onions and dry dates have come from Pakistan today while six Indian trucks, carrying tomatoes and bananas, could not cross the LoC due to delay in security check.”

These Indian trucks, along with some more carrying embroidery items, will go to Pakistan Wednesday, he said.

“It is a great feeling to see the cross-LoC trade resume on Chakan-da-Bagh-Rawalakot route as this is not simply trade but it carries sentiments of people of this area,” he said.

Trade takes place from Tuesday to Friday every week. Goods worth Rs.2 crore are traded every day with about 25 trucks crossing over.

The trade was halted Jan 10 when Indian officials said Pakistan did not open gates for the trucks at Chakan-da-Bagh.

India-Pakistan relations took a hit after New Delhi accused Pakistani troops of brutally killing two Indian soldiers along the LoC Jan 8 and beheading one of them.

Pakistan accused Indian troops of killing two Pakistani soldiers on two separate days. In retaliation to the beheading and the mutilation of the other soldier, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared that there could be no business as usual with Pakistan.