Trade between India and Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah route has come to a halt in the wake of suicide attack at Wagah border, which claimed lives of 61 people in Pakistan. "Trade movement through trucks between India and Pakistan has stopped for now," a senior official of Customs department (Amritsar) told PTI today over phone.
The official further said that trade could remain in suspended mode for a few days more if Pakistan expresses inability to restart the truck movement. "Efforts are being made to restore trade as early as possible from our side," the official said adding that extra checks are being introduced here in the wake of blast. "We are cautious and we are on high alert," he added.
A suicide bomber detonated a powerful bomb at Wagah in Pakistan after the popular flag-lowering ceremony yesterday. Traders said 100-150 trucks laden with cement, gypsum and dry fruits enter Indian territory every day via Attari-Wagah land route while 200-250 trucks carrying perishable items including tomatoes, ginger, garlic, soybean extraction, cotton yarn etc cross over to Pakistan. "There was no movement of trucks today at Attari-Wagah land route for trade," Amritsar Chamber of Commerce Vice President Rajdeep Uppal said.
As per estimates, the total volume of trade between the two nations via Attari-Wagah land route is estimated at Rs 3,000 crore per annum. India and Pakistan had agreed to start cross border movement of trucks in October 2007, after a gap of sixty years from Attari Check post at Amritsar in India to Wagah border in Pakistan with an intention of boosting bilateral trade.
Pakistan allows import of 137 items from India through Attari-Wagah land route. An Integrated Check Post was set up Attari Wagah border in 2012 with at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore for smooth movement of traffic between India and Pakistan.
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