- Indo-Pak traders had a secret meeting in a third country to set the Agenda
NL Correspondent
New Delhi, Apr 18
The Union government on Thursday issued orders to suspend trade across Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir from Friday following reports that routes are being misused by Pakistan-based elements to send illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency.
The realisation on the part of the government and other agencies came very late as all sort of malpractices and illegal transactions were being going on at the Chhakkan-da-Bagh, a highly placed source said.
Source said that just few months back, a secret review meeting was held between the delegations of Traders engaged in across-LoC Trade from India and Pakistan, in a third country without the permission and knowledge of the Deputy Commissioner, Poonch who is the nodal officer for holding and presiding such review meetings on Indian side of the LoC. The aim and objectives of the said secret meeting with the persons involved and all other activities are to be probed.
The trade through two facilitation centres at Salambad, Uri, and Chhakkan-da-Bagh, Poonch, that takes place on four days a week and based on barter system and zero-duty basis meant to facilitate exchange of goods of common use between local populations across the LoC in the state.
The Home Ministry said reports were received that the LoC trade is being misused on very large scale. It has been found trade changed its character to mostly third party trade and products from other regions, including foreign countries, finding their way through this route. “Unscrupulous and anti-national elements are using the route as a conduit for Hawala money, drugs and weapons, under the garb of this trade,” an official release said.
During the ongoing investigations of certain cases by NIA, it came to light that a significant number of trading concerns engaged in LoC trade are being operated by persons closely associated with banned terrorist organisations involved in fuelling terrorism/separatism.
Investigations also revealed that some individuals, who have crossed over to Pakistan, and joined militant organisations, opened trading firms in Pakistan, which are under the control of militant organisations and are engaged in LoC trade.
After the Pulwama incident, the Government of India withdrew the MFN status to Pakistan. Inputs have also been received that in order to evade the consequent higher duty, LoC trade is likely to be misused to a greater extent.
While announcing suspension from tomorrow, the government said a stricter regulatory and enforcement mechanism is being worked out and will be put in place in consultation with various agencies, and revisit the issue of reopening of LoC trade thereafter.
