Pak suspends cross-LoC trade in Poonch

Two-day after the ghastly action of beheading an Indian soldiers and killing another, Pakistan on Thursday refused to continue with cross Line-of-control from Chakan-Da-Bagh area in Poonch, about 300-km from Jammu. Tarun Upadhyay reports. Pakistan alleges Indian troops killed their soldier

Two-day after the ghastly action of beheading an Indian soldiers and killing another, Pakistan on Thursday refused to continue with cross Line-of-control from Chakan-Da-Bagh area in Poonch, about 300-km from Jammu.

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Chakan-Da-Bagh is about five-km frm Krishna Ghahi sector where the incident of intrusion by Pakistan troops and subsequent killing of Indian soldiers had taken place.

The Pakistan has categorically said that trade will be resumed only after ties are normal.

“Trade-facilitation-officer(TFO) at Rawalakote (PoK) had communicated late last evening that trade will not take place on Thursday,” custodian trade centre Chakan-Da-Bagh Hamid Ahmad told HT.

The officer said: “The Pak officers in the evening again communicated that trade will not resume unless situation is improved.”

The cross LoC trade, started in Oct 2008, takes place for four-day every week- Tuesday to Friday.

Interestingly, the trade had taken place on Tuesday, when the incident had taken place.

About 60-trucks, carrying tomatoes, worth Rs 90-lakh are stranded at the trade facilitation centre Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch.

Pakistan had last June also suspended the trade after ties were badly affected due continuous cease fire violation by the Pakistan army. Pakistan continuously fired at Indian side for about a week from June 12-19. The trade was revived after two-week.

The Pakistan had then resorted to firing a month after Osma-bin-laden was shot dead by US operation.

The trade, based on barter system, has been badly affected after a number of items in original list of 21-item have been taken off. Now mostly fresh vegetables and herbs are trade from both sides.

Pakistan had refused to go in for banking system of the trade by citing reason if trade takes place on cash basis then it would send the message that Kashmir is no more a disputed territory. Last year, the Pakistan side on visit to India had even told their Indian counterparts that their objections shouldn’t be noted down in the note but only taken verbally.