In a boost to trade across the Line of Control, Indian and Pakistani authorities on Thursday agreed to start a formal communication mechanism between the trade officers and resume trade and travel on the Uri-Muzaffarabad route next week.
“We held a meeting with our counterparts [from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)] in a very positive atmosphere. Both sides decided to resume travel from Monday and trade from Tuesday next week besides establishing a permanent communication mechanism,” Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Uri, Sagar D. Doifode told The Hindu .
The meeting, held on the Salamabad Bridge or Aman Setu on the zero line at noon, was headed by Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, Nasir Naqash and Colonel (retired) Muhammad Shahid, Director, Trade and Trade Authority, PoK.
It’s the first time since cross-LoC trade service started in 2008 that permanent communication lines would come up.
Earlier, the hotlines between the security agencies were the only source of communication.
Sources said the two sides had decided to share landline and mobile numbers and e-mail addresses “of the trade officers on both sides to formalise communication lines”.
NIA caution
The move comes despite the National Investigation Agency, probing the funding of public unrest through the LoC route, reportedly advocating against opening the trading points.
Both sides are meeting on September 7 in PoK’s Chakoti trade centre again to take forward the initiative. The upcoming meeting will be the first of its kind with officials from Jammu and Kashmir crossing the LoC and hold a meeting.
“We have decided to hold a meeting of the traders every three months in a controlled atmosphere to discuss issues related to trade on the LoC. The next meeting will be at Chakoti,” said SDM Doifode.
The trade on the Uri-Muzaffarabad route was stopped after 66.5 kg of heroin was seized from a PoK truck on July 21.
