Srinagar: The trade activity at Line of Control (LoC) in Baramulla district resumed on Wednesday with at least fifty trucks laden with different item reporting at Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre (STFC).
Speaking to the FreePressKashmir, Custodian STFC, Gh Muhammad Bhat said, “I talked to the officials concerned from across the LoC and the trade activity has formally resumed.”
The cross-LoC trade started in 2008 as a confidence building measure (CBM). The trade activity is done four days a week as against two-day schedule of ‘peace’ bus – Kaarwan-i-Aman – which ferries members of divided families twice a week. The bus service was kicked off in 2005.
Following heated up borders in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan on Tuesday had unilaterally stopped the trade activity.
“No body from the other side came to receive the goods loaded in fifty trucks from our side yesterday,” Bhat said.
However, Bhat reached Kaman-Aman Setu bridge – the only bridge which connects divided Kashmir in Uri – and held a meeting with the officials from across the de facto border.
“There was technical fault,” Bhat said. “Now it is normal.”
It may be recalled here that it was second consecutive day yesterday that Pakistani officials from the other side of LoC did not receive any passenger or goods.
“There were at least fourteen passengers who were supposed to cross LoC on Monday but nobody turned up from the other side to receive them,” he said.
However, normal trade was on along the Poonch route.
25 trucks crossed over from this side while six goods-laden trucks were received at Chakan da Bagh on the Poonch-Rawalakote route today.
“Bus service on Monday and LoC trade on Tuesday and Wednesday have been normal as usual,” said cross LoC Point Custodian, Tanveer Ahmed.
