India, Pakistan exchange tomatoes, dates as Attari-Wagah trade normal
Notwithstanding rising tensions between India and Pakistan, trade through the Attari-Wagah land route near Amritsar remained unaffected with more than 180 goods trucks moving across for the second day today after India Army’s surgical strikes across the LoC.
Notwithstanding rising tensions between India and Pakistan, trade through the Attari-Wagah land route near Amritsar remained unaffected with more than 180 goods trucks moving across for the second day on Friday after India Army’s surgical strikes across the Line of Control in Kashmir.
Amritsar customs commissioner Capt Sanjay Gahlot told PTI on Friday they have “not witnessed any reduction in number of trucks”. “The trade (through Attari-Wagah route) continues to remain normal. There is no indication (of any adverse impact on trade),” he said.
Customs officials said 63 trucks with tomatoes crossed over to Pakistan through the land route while 123 with dry dates, gypsum, cement, aluminum ore, salt and other material moved into the Indian territory. “The number of trucks crossing over to India from Pakistan is likely to go up in the evening,” another customs official said.
On Thursday, 170 trucks from Pakistan brought goods to India while more than 50 went to the neighbouring country.
Must read | A report from ground zero
Pakistan imports vegetables including tomatoes, ginger, garlic and spices, cotton yarn, while India imports cement, gypsum and dry fruits via the Attari-Wagah land route.
Meanwhile, Punjab traders dealing with imports and exports with Pakistan through the land route in Amritsar welcomed the strikes across the Line of Control. “The action taken by the Indian army was necessary to give befitting reply to Pakistan for the Uri terror attack,” said president of Federation of Dry Fruit and Karyana Commercial Association, Anil Mehra. “It is Pakistan which will be hit the most if trade ties between two nations are snapped. For us country comes first and then comes trade,” said Mehra.
Pakistan allows import of 137 items from India through Attari-Wagah.