Line of Control to line of commerce and connections

With the present skirmishes across the Line of Control (LoC), it was recently reported that cross-LoC trade was stopped for two days on the Poonch-Rawalkot route. However, the same was resumed after the two sides talked. 

This resumption of trade after a short halt is not new for LoC trade. Disturbances, ceasefire violations, and severe border skirmishes happen there, but LoC trade continues. 

In fact, India and Pakistan have remained connected through trade trucks even in difficult times when all other mediums, including dialogues, were stopped. This reflects the huge potential of cross-border trade in terms of its capability to be utilised as one of the most important tools for not only economic purposes, but also for peace-building and confidence-building at one of the most sensitive military deployment lines in South Asia.

Probably this was what leaders on both sides had envisioned years ago. When India and Pakistan engaged in the peace process, many confidence-building measures were taken, including initiating bus service  across the LoC in 2005, and later the opening of two routes (Poonch-Rawalkot and Uri-Muzaffarabad) in 2008. 

The success of the opening of these routes can be estimated from the trade figures. In the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in 2016, it was stated that during the last three years (till January 2016), there had been trade of approximately Rs 2,800 crore. In another report, the figure touched more than Rs 3,500 crore till December 2016. 

LoC trades are duty-free. But these trades are not immune. National Investigation Agency claims that trade may be used to fund terror activities in J&K. 

There is a proposal for full-body truck scanners, which was actively demanded after recovery of arms and drugs from trucks in 2014. After the drugs recovery, trade was suspended for a few weeks. But the traders had opposed it. They argued that only the accused be punished, and not the whole system. 

It must be noted that while this cross-LoC trade has many restrictions and difficulties — such as unavailability of easy communication medium, banking system, and a legal framework — it has, nonetheless, sustained despite all the ups and downs in relation to India and Pakistan since 2008 and even during curfews in J&K. 

Even amid the present tension, trade sustained through these LoC routes. Trade has impacted the livelihood of people on both sides more than any other measures.

There are more routes being demanded by people across the LoC, such as Chumb-Pallanwala on the Bhimber-Jammu side, Jammu-Sialkot, Kargil-Skardu, Khuiratta- Nowshera on the Kotli-Rajouri side, Nowshera-Jhangar, and others.

Opening more such routes with better facilities would be beneficial for both trade and confidence-building. Leaders on both sides have expressed their faith in conflict-resolution through sustained relations and dialogues. This positivity brings hope.

While LoC expands to Line of Control due to the heavy deployment of the armies of India and Pakistan, people across the line are attached through the same. We need to understand the importance of this, and recognise LoC as Line of Commerce, Connection and Confidence.   

The author is the founder of Aaghaz-e-Dosti (an Indo-Pak friendship initiative)