The proposed opening of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari on Baisakhi (April 13) may not really open the floodgates of trade with Pakistan through land route. Pakistan had last month notified its negative list for India,which means barring 1,209 items India can now export all products to the neighbouring country. However,Islamabad had allowed import of only 137 items through Wagah land route,instead of the nearly 2,000 items,which were allowed earlier under the positive list. Traders have claimed that out of 137 items,majority of products are already exported to Pakistan through Wagah land crossing. The item includes livestock,carcasses,meat,vegetables,pineapple,pepper,newsprint,cement and yarn. CII National Council on Public Policy member Gunbir Singh said that Indo-Pak trade prospects is expected to increase from 2.5 billion US Dollars to nearly 10 billion US Dollars soon. But Punjab,in particular,and North India in general,may not benefit much as only 137 items have been allowed to be exported through this route. Pakistans negative list (for trade) is not applicable here at Attari-Wagah land route whereas it is applicable at all trading centres including Maharashtra and Gujarat, he added. Echoing similar views,Amritsar Exporters Chambers of Commerce Vice President Rajdeep Uppal said that they would take up this issue with the Pakistan authorities to boost trade from land route. RS Sachdeva,co-chairman,PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Punjab),said that had Pakistan allowed the trade of more items through this land route,it would have cut down the transportation charges benefiting the traders in both the countries. Attari-Wagah land route is a prominent import-export route between Pakistan and India and traders of both countries use land and rail route for carrying out bilateral trade. India,currently,exports vegetables,frozen meat,soybean extraction,cotton yarn among other items,valuing abut Rs 1,500 crore per annum through Attari-Wagah route. India and Pakistan had agreed to start cross border movement of trucks in the month of October 2007 after a gap of 60 years from Attari Check post at Amritsar in India to Wagah border in Pakistan with an intention of boosting bilateral trade. To boost trade,an ambitious Integrated Check Post has been set up at Indo-Pak border near Attari in Amritsar at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore as it will boast of new gate for cargo and passengers movement to facilitate bilateral trade between two nations. It will be inaugurated by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on April 13.