JKJCCI eyes Kashmir solution thru boosted trade ties

MIRPUR (AJK): Jammu & Kashmir Joint Chambers of Commerce & Industry (JKJCCI) President Zulfiqar Abbasi emphasised a need for the introduction of a liberal regime for the promotion of cross-Line of Control trade by the local entrepreneurs.
“The cross-LoC trade, launched between AJK and Indian held Kashmir in October 2008, could lead to the peaceful settlement of all long standing issues through peaceful means between the two countries,” said Abbasi in an interview with The Nation here on Wednesday.
He underlined that the recent high-level meeting of the leaders of Kashmiri traders hailing from both the sides of LoC, held in Nepalese capital city of Kathmandu, eulogised the grand proposal of displaying of AJK-made products in the international trade exhibitions to be held in Srinagar.
“It is a very good and encouraging gesture to perpetuate and promote the trade by the Jammu & Kashmir entrepreneurs for the introduction of the AJK products in the global market,” he said.
Zulfiqar Abbasi, who is also former president of AJKCCI, had led first-ever 19-member trade delegation from AJK before the advent of cross LoC trade in October 2008. He continued that the free movement of the members of the business community from both the sides of LoC was primarily imperative for the promotion of trade. He also suggested for the early opening of more ancient traditional routes between AJK/Gilgit Baltistan and Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir including Skardu-Kargil and Chamb-Nowshehra, introduction of liberal policy about swift issuance of travel documents for the traders seeking entry at either side of the LoC.
He suggested to the governments of both Pakistan and India as well as AJK and Indian occupied Kashmir to manage for issuing special travel pass to the traders for the period of at least two years on the recommendations of the chambers to facilitate them with quick access as and when required. He also urged the need of grant of permission to the traders for traveling between both sides through their private vehicles. This, he maintained, is the need of hour for the traders for mutual physical interaction, business deals and direct access to the markets to promote bilateral trading.
Referring to other immediate required infrastructure facilities, he suggested that fully-loaded truck of 20 to 30 tons be allowed to ply for cross-LoC trade from both sides by removing the existing conditions of the use of truck loaded with 1.5 tons of goods.
“For this purpose, the existing poor-conditioned suspension bridges on the line of control at Chakothi-Uri entry point should immediately be replaced with the concrete-made wide bridge”, he suggested.
He pointed out that Kashmiri business community was seeking and stressing for the exchange of trade of hundreds of the locally-produced and manufactured items in view of bright opportunities of their marketing. He concluded that trans-LoC trade of such items could, indeed, make the trade a complete success on stable, strong and durable footings. http://nation.com.pk/national/09-Apr-2015/jkjcci-eyes-kashmir-solution-thru-boosted-trade-ties