Demand for expanding LOC trade list

Line-of-Control (LoC) traders today held a protest here demanding India and Pakistan increase the list of items to be traded between the two parts of the divided Kashmir.

“As per the instructions issued by the government,the trade items were supposed to be reviewed every quarter.

“Instead of revising the list,governments of India and Pakistan have imposed a ban even on some of the agreed items,” General-Secretary of Salamabad-Chakoti Traders Unions Hilal Turki told reporters here.

He said the two governments should review the list “as early as possible”.

“A clear policy of the trade should be defined and all items should be allowed as part of the trade across the LoC,” he said.

Although 21 items were initially allowed to be exchanged between the two sides,the list has now been reduced to just 14 items.

Police,however,stopped the traders from marching out of the local hotel where they had gathered.

The cross LoC trade,conducted on barter basis,was started on October 21,2008,as part of the confidence building measures between India and Pakistan after its modalities were decided during the composite dialogue between the two countries.

However,the traders have since faced difficulties due to lack of banking and communication facilities between the two parts of divided state and the non-availability of a covered storage facility.

The traders claimed that they had suffered huge losses during rainy seasons as the goods are kept in the open.

Last month,the traders body also demanded revocation of Value Added Tax (VAT) on trade between two parts of the divided Kashmir.