Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 24: Senior officers from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Poonch district in Jammu discussed several issues pertaining to cross-LoC trade and public visits in a meeting held at Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch district today.
The meeting at the level of senior officers of the two sides would be followed by the meeting of cross-LoC traders at Chakan-Da-Bagh to settled the disputes pointed out by both sides in the meeting.
Director General Trade and Tour, Pakistan Brig (Retd) Mohammad Ismail, Assistant Commissioner (Rawalakote) Haroon Mehmood, Deputy Commissioner Poonch Ajit Kumar Sahu, SSP Poonch Shamsheer Hussain and some other officials attended the meeting and discussed the issues and problems being faced by the visitors and the traders on both the sides.
Official sources said the PoK authorities sought increase in the amount being allowed by the cross-LoC visitors to carry with them while undertaking visits to each other’s territory during weekly crossing in Poonch-Rawlakote bus service.
They asserted that Rs 15,000 allowed to a visitor were “insufficient’’ for over a month’s stay with their relatives and friends especially for those, who wanted to do some shopping for their families back home. They demanded that the amount should be increased to make cross-LoC visits purposeful.
The Indian side was of the view that a decision on increasing the amount allowed to be carried by the cross-LoC visitors can be taken only by the Governments of India and Pakistan.
Worthwhile to mention here that the Indian side has deliberately kept the amount low at Rs 15,000 as it feared that increase in the currency could be mis-utilized for anti-Indian activities and fanning trouble. Sources said the intentions of Pakistan side in increasing the amount were not good as they could send the amount for Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of militants on this side through their couriers.
The officers from district Poonch stressed for keeping the luggage carried by the PoK visitors to maximum 50 kg so that it could be checked and frisked easily. They pointed out that the PoK visitors were bringing with them 70 to 80 kg luggage causing inconvenience to the security agencies on this side to check them.
The authorities had to frisk luggage of all visitors to ensure that no undesirable item was contained in it.
Sources said increase in number of tradable items also figured at the meeting. Pakistan side demanded resumption of import of coconut from this side. The Indian side was of the view that trade would be held on 21 items cleared by the Governments of India and Pakistan unless the two countries decided to increase them.
The Indian side regretted delay in clearance of the names of persons by Pakistan side intending to undertake visit to other side of the Line of Control. They demanded that names of the aspirants should be cleared at the earliest to make the cross-LoC visits successful.
Pakistan side blamed India for slow clearance of the names of the visitors.
Number of the cross-LoC visitors has come down to considerable extent from both sides due to delay in clearance of names of the people, who had applied for permits to cross LoC to meet their divided families and relatives.
Both sides decided to meet at regular intervals to sort out the issues faced by the cross-LoC traders and visitors.
Sources said the meeting of cross-LoC officers would be followed by the cross-LoC traders as both sides wanted to settle financial disputes between them. The PoK officials demanded that the meeting of the cross-LoC traders should be held at the terminal at Chakan-Da-Bagh.
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