Imtiyaz Wani
Started in 2008, three years after Cross LoC bus service also known as Karwan-e-Aman Bus began between Srinagar – Muzuffarabad, the Cross LoC trade is considered one of the biggest Confidence Building Measure (CBM) between India and Pakistan.
So far, 800 traders from both sides have registered for business. Before the attack in Uri on September 18, many proposals were on the cards to enhance trade activities, including increasing the number of items. For the trade the Union Ministry of Commerce approved a list of 23 items from Kashmir and on its part Pakistan also approved 26 items. In the last five years, goods worth five thousand crores had been exchanged through Kaman and Chakanda Bagh (Poonch). However, since the Uri attack and tensions on the Line of Control, India and Pakistan is not giving much attention towards this CBM. Even the plans of its enhancement have hit the roadblocks.
Even after a decade of fanfare with which the cross LoC trade was launched, the hopes of people attached with this trade has started fading and traders who are registered as cross LoC traders have apprehensions that it might end abruptly someday due to growing animosity between India and Pakistan.
After opening of Srinagar – Muzaffarabad road many people got surprised when the then J&K chief minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said that Cross LoC trade will begin soon on this historical road and the trucks carrying goods from both parts of Kashmir will be plying on the road that remained closed for decades.
Earlier the road was called as Jehlum Valley Cart road and was one of the busiest routes in the sub continent. PDP leaders say that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had dream to revive the past glory of the road and turn it a peace road. In the autumn of 2008, And three year then chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad dispatched first trucks towards Muzuffarabad with a message of peace everybody present at Salamabad heaved a sigh of relief terming it as a big relief. After the trucks started running between Salamabad and Chakoti many people and political experts termed it as a good beginning and opined that slowly it will turn into full fledged trade that will gradually replace Wagah trade between India and Pakistan. Ten years down the line, the hope has disappeared and even traders say that they have now received a recent order through which tradable items have been curtailed. ‘’Instead of increasing the tradable items, the government of India has banned many items. If they cut these items then what trade is this,’’ said president Cross LoC Trade, Hilal Turki. ‘If government will do like this then we will have no option but to close the trade forever.’’
Turki said that government of India and Pakistan should pay special attention on this trade as this is the only thing that has kept friendship of two neighboring nations alive. ‘’Even when there is a cross border shelling and both countries lose their soldiers and civilians. The cross LoC trucks give a hope for peace in the region. People should come forward to strengthen this bond.’’
J&K chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti who had made frequent trips to the Kaman Post assured traders that her government will do everything to make cross LoC trade successful. Mufti even promised a full-fledged trade centre at Salamabad and Chakandabagh Poonch. ‘’We have been hearing many promises from both sides of the LoC. Unfortunately, it is moving at snail’s pace. Even after a decade there is not telephone line between Salamabad and Chakoti. This trade is still run on barter system,’’ said Abdul Rashid a cross LoC trader.
‘’There are some people who have been against this trade from the day one. They look for every alibi to get this trade stopped. So far they have not succeeded. But still they are looking for things to get it stopped.’’
In the absence of banking facilities, cross-LoC trade has been carried out on the basis of barter. Initially it was carried for two days a week, but now its duration has been increased to five days a week. As per the officials and traders goods worth Rs 5000 crore have been traded so far since 2008 and it had a potential to cross Rs 10000 crores only it needs patronage from the both the governments.
Cross-LoC trade has had its share of troubles. In January last year, officials recovered 114 kg brown sugar worth Rs 100 crore from a truck that had come from PoK. Before that, police had recovered weapons and small amount of drugs from these trucks. Two years ago, a team of the Union Home Ministry visited Kaman Post and agreed to install full-body truck scanners at Salamabad and Chakanda Bagh, something the Army has long demanded. However, till date the scanners have not been installed. Even government has been pursuing with the centre that truck scanners should be installed on the Kaman post.
Though earlier 800 traders from both sides were registered for business, however, now government has began a process to even curtail the number of traders who have been engaged in the cross LoC business. ‘Instead of bringing trade ambit of the proper business system the state government has also played its part to wean away traders from the trade. Many registrations were cancelled on the pretext of minor paper works,’’ says another trader. Even the people of Uri feel ditched and they blame centre and state governments for not taking much interests in the cross LoC trade.
‘’When the trade was started a decade ago, people here were told that this will become a game changer in the economy of the Uri. But nothing happened, even people of this border town have not reaped any benefits,’’ says Ghulam Jeelani, a resident of Uri. ‘The only thing this trade has done for us is that it is a symbol of peace, when we see trucks plying after a night of shelling on LoC, it gives us hope and for us this hope is big thing.’’
