Pak stand upsets J&K traders

Pakistan's refusal to have a Jammu-Sialkot trade link, as part of Indo-Pak peace initiative, has dampened the spirits among traders in Jammu and Kashmir.

Specially, traders from Jammu and Srinagar, besides the the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have termed it as the major setback. The traders' community in Jammu is shocked at the negative response from the Pakistani government.

The traders here, who had pinned their hopes on the opening of trade route between Jammu and Sialkot, were disappointed as Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Mehmood negated the proposal for any kind of trade between the two countries through Jammu-Sialkot route for the time being.

The hopes of the traders from Srinagar as well as from Jammu had soared especially during the first innings of the present coalition government in the state when work was started on creating a toll post and other allied infrastructure at zero line near Suchetgarh (Indian side), at a point from where Sialkot is hardly 11 km away. Some road widening work was also initiated and it is has continued with the Central funding from Jammu airport to RS Pura enroute Sialkot in Pakistan.

These hopes received another boost with the opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffrabad link. The Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Kashmir Chamber also made several representations to the foreign delegations to open trade routes between the two countries.

While Jammu CCI President Ram Sahai termed the development as most unfortunate, the Jammu Retailers Federation President Yash Pal Gupta said with the opening of this important trade link, traders not only from Jammu but also from Kashmir and Punjab would be benefited on the either side.

The decision of the Pakistan government has shocked many traders here. He said Anardana, Gutchi, Rajma, Basmati rice and fresh vegetables could have been traded through this route. He said several items like cement, steel, auto spare parts, electronic goods etc. are in great demand in Pakistan. They can get many items at cheap rates from India.

Sahai said Jammu as well as Kashmir Chamber members were still in constant touch with their Pakistani counterparts of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sialkot and Muzaffrabad.

"We want the opening of trade links and for this the trading bodies in both the countries would continue to exert pressure on the respective governments," he added.