Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 8: The cross-LoC trade between India and Pakistan is going on despite repeated militant attacks on Army installations and ceasefire violations along Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir valley and surgical strike by Special Forces in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Custodian, Trade Facilitation Centre, Salamabad-Uri, Farooq Shah, told Excelsior that the ongoing tensions between the two neighbouring countries has not affected the cross-LoC trade and the trucks carrying goods from this side as well as other side continued to cross to either side.
At the time of September 18 Uri Fidayeen attack that left 19 soldiers dead, the cross-LoC trade was suspended due to unrest in Kashmir valley and on September 27, the trade got resumed even as tensions between two countries had peaked amid ceasefire violations along LoC and International Border (IB).
A trader, wishing not to be named, said there is ‘no visible impact’ of India and Pakistan tensions on cross-LoC trade and it is going on smoothly. “We as usual are sending our goods to other side in trucks and the same is happening from other side. The tensions so far have not affected trade between the two sides,” he said.
The traders said that the cross-LoC trade continued even on the day when India carried out surgical strikes at militant camps and launch pads in PoK. “Though on that day, the trucks from here left in the afternoon but they didn’t stop,” they said.
Farooq Shah, the Custodian of TFC Salamabad-Uri, said that the trade between the two sides has been going on all working days. “Everything is alright here even as tensions have engulfed both countries due to the prevailing situation,” he said, adding that the trade even from Poonch-Chakan Da Bagh and Attari border (in Punjab) is also going on smoothly.
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