Joint Chamber to exert pressure on Indo-Pak Govts to restore cross LoC trade

Members of J&K Joint Chamber at a meeting in Tashkent on Tuesday.
Members of J&K Joint Chamber at a meeting in Tashkent on Tuesday.

Traders from PoK, J&K meet at Tashkent

Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, June 25: The J&K Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JKJCCI), a consortium of Regional Chambers in Srinagar, Jammu (J&K), Mirpur and Muzafarabad (PoK), has resolved to exert pressure on Indian and Pakistani Governments for the early resumption of cross LoC trade.
The representatives of the Regional Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Associations/Federations of Cross-LoC traders and some independent entrepreneurs met for a ‘Jammu and Kashmir Cross-Line of Control Business Track- II’ at the neutral venue in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on June 23,24 and 25 and had detailed discussion with regard to the issues of cross LoC traders, losses suffered by them due to abrupt closure of trade activities and review of tradable items besides ways and means to be adopted to seek resumption of trade activities between parts of divided Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was, in fact, facilitated by the conciliation resources as part of its support to the Cross-LoC Confidence Building Measures since 2009.
The participants from both the sides also called upon the Governments of India and Pakistan to take a comprehensive review of the modalities and technical mechanism to restore operation of Cross-LoC trade as early as possible. The participating Cross-LoC traders and leaders of business chambers on both sides of the divide J&K, assured their respective Governments of their full support and assistance in putting the trade on modern and transparent lines to the benefit of economic development and peace in the Jammu and Kashmir.
Rakesh Gupta, newly installed president of `Joint Chamber’ while talking to the ‘Excelsior’ revealed that the participants took a comprehensive view of the cross-LoC Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) initiated by the Governments of India and Pakistan since 2005. All the members acknowledged the fact that various CBMs like trade and travel across LoC, in their limited scope, have contributed in building trust and enhancing shared understanding between regions and communities. Participants were of the unanimous view that agreement on opening of the Line of Control for travel of divided families and further allowing it for trade was a demonstration of statesmanship of the leadership of India and Pakistan,” he added.
The JKJCCI chief further revealed that the participants, particularly, the cross-LoC traders openly expressed that while responding to the CBMs, as agreed by the Governments of India and Pakistan, they sustained the cross-LoC trade with emotional investment, despite severe financial risks and procedural and operational difficulties. They also noted with concern and regret that after launch of trade on an archaic and ad hoc model in 2008, the Governments did not do enough to put the mechanisms on modern lines which left it vulnerable to possible misuse.
The members, however, regretted that the trade had to be suspended by the Government on the Indian side, with effect from April 18, 2019, for no fault of genuine traders. The abrupt suspension of trade has resulted into avoidable losses.
Gupta said the members on both the sides also noted with deep regret that the peace building and economic potential of the cross-LoC trade could not be realized to its optimum strength due to a variety of reasons. The participants acknowledged the political sensitivities and difficulties in actualizing the spirit behind softening of Line of Control, but they vehemently asserted that businesses can be viewed separately from politics as in the case of India-Pakistan International Trade which has continued uninterruptedly despite many bilateral setbacks.
The members of J&K Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry also resolved to closely work with the Government authorities and the traders for early resumption of trade.
The president of the JKJCCI Rakesh Gupta, Joint presidents Sheikh Ashiq (President Kashmir Chamber) and Sohail Shujjah (Mirpur) reiterated their commitment to coordinate between Government authorities, traders and other stakeholders to ensure that real intention behind this unique CBM is not lost.
Participation of women entrepreneurs from both sides of the Line of Control was one of the key highlights of the Tashkent meeting.
Signatories to the joint resolution are- Anjum Zaman, cross-LoC Trader, Muzaffarabad; Farzana Yaqoob, Entrepreneur from Poonch (AJK), Ghulam Murtaza, ex-president of AJK Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Mirpur; Imran Aziz, Businessman from Poonch (AJK); Muhammad Kazeem Khan, Cross-LoC Trader, Rawalakot-Poonch, AJK; Shaista Rehman, Entrepreneur, Muzaffarabad, AJK; Sohail Shujah, president AJK Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Mirpur; Tanveer Anwar Qureshi, Muzaffarabad Chamber of Commerce; Zulfiqar Abbasi, Ex-president of JK-JCCI; Arifa Jan, Member, KCCI, Srinagar; Ashiq Ahmad Sheikh, president, KCCI; Jasprit Kaur, Entrepreneur, Jammu; Mubeen Ahmed Shah, ex-president, JK-JCCI; Pawan Kumar Anand, president Cross LoC Traders Poonch; Rahul Pandit, Entrepreneur, Anantnag/ Jammu; Rajesh Gupta, Member, vice president, Jammu Chamber; Rakesh Gupta, president, Jammu Chamber, president JK-JCCI; YV Sharma, ex-president, JCCI and JKJCCI; Farooq Amin, secretary general, KCCI, Srinagar.

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