It is now more than four years that trade initiatives across LoC were taken and two points, namely Salamabad in Uri and Chakan Da Bagh in Poonch, were earmarked for exchange of trade. But contrary to expectations, trading exercise is not taking off and contrarily in recent months it has shown downside trend. The reason is quite simple. Firstly the pre-requisites of good trading system are lacking on either side. There is no banking system nor is there quick telephonic communication facility. Despite several requests made by the prospective traders the requisite facilities have not been provided. During the past week only one truckload was reported at Chakan d Bagh from PoK side.
The fact is that suspicions and doubts still linger in connection with the conducting of trade exercise. At several occasions objectionable articles have been found hidden in boxes of various goods that are being traded across the checkpoints. At least on three occasions objectionable articles like live cartridges, SIM cards and satellite phones were recovered. These were hidden in the boxes loaded with merchandise. Why should this have happened and why should have Pakistani traders resorted to this objectionable act? Although the authorities took strict action and blacklisted the sender and the receiving companies or firms, but the fact remains that subversives are trying to use the trading route for transportation of objectionable material. This cannot be called a cooperative stance and naturally leads to many obstructions.
However not to let the entire enterprise an confidence building measure fall apart, the authorities have approached the Home Ministry for supplying them with full body scanner machines that would scan a loaded truck without the need of unloading its merchandise. The practice prevailing at the moment is that all merchandise has to unloaded and scanned item by item to ensure that there is no objectionable material. The practice of opening each box and each bundle of merchandise is a cumbersome and time-consuming job. It causes long delays. The proposal of obtaining such machines for the check posts will reduce the time taken for checking the trucks. Each machine is reported to cost something around 11 crore rupees and the Home Ministry has to bear all this cost.
The main purpose of opening the trading points across the LoC was to reinforce confidence-building measures. It was expected that the people especially the businessmen on both the sides would find an opportunity of contributing to the building of goodwill among the people on both sides of the dividing line. But some incidents of attempt at smuggling objectionable items have aroused the suspicion of security forces. Trade route cannot be converted into a route for smuggling in arms and ammunition and other material, which the terrorists use in their subversive activities. The army is required to prevent the enemy from doing so. It is, therefore, decided that after installing full body scanner machines at the check post, it will be handled by the army and he civilians jointly. Though they will be assigned specific duties but they will be jointly responsible for clearing the goods as clean and not objectionable.
We want that relations with PoK should become very cordial. With this impression we had accepted that we open two points for secure trade.. Pakistan accepted the proposal with much reluctance. We, too, had reservations but we also believed in constructive policy of creating circumstances that would generate the goodwill of PoK people. If our goodwill gesture is to be responded by equal good will from the other side than nothing should be done that threatens our security and sovereignty. A person interested in doing business has no need to transact objectionable things to the other side. It is negation of good will effort.
In final analysis we will say that the genuine traders on both sides should sit down and discuss how best the underlying idea of cross – LoC trade can be made as a strong confidence building measure in this part of the world. If 21 articles were recommended for trading through these check points and these have come down to just 3, it makes no sense of continuing to run the trade through these points. This is not going to help strengthen confidence building motions. Therefore on both sides a realistic and more practical methods need to be taken to ensure the purpose of opening the trading points is rightly served.
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