The Indo-Pak relations would get a renewed boost on Baisakhi on Friday, as a sprawling integrated check post (ICP) would be opened to traders and commuters at Wagah on the Indo-Pak border.
The Indo-Pak relations would get a renewed boost on Baisakhi on Friday, as a sprawling integrated check post (ICP) would be opened to traders and commuters at Wagah on the Indo-Pak border.
Spread over an area of 120 acres along the border, the post has taken almost two years to complete at a cost of Rs150cr. The passenger terminal - covering more than 10,000sq m - would make the crossing over for travellers much easier and faster, while the cargo terminal would have the capacity to park over 800 trucks for imports and about 320 trucks for exports to Pakistan.
Union home minister P Chidambaram would formally inaugurate the post on Friday along with the Pakistan’s commerce minister.
The trading community, however, has been keeping its fingers crossed as the establishment of the special post would boost trade ties, provided Pakistan revised its negative list and allowed elaborate trade from Wagah.
“A recent notification issued by Pakistan regarding the negative list for trade with India had mentioned 1,209 items which it cannot import from India and on the other it has a list of 137 items importable from India via Wagah-Attari land route,” said Gunbir Singh, an exporter.
Traders have in fact, long been demanding a transit route under which they could seek access to Afghanistan, CIS nations and beyond, to help them expand their trade. He said nearly 6,000 items could be exported to Pakistan if India was granted the status of most favoured nation (MFN). India had granted the MFN status to Pakistan in 1996.
Last week, a 32-member delegation of the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Pakistan) visited the newly raised ICP. Leader of the delegation Sheikh Abdul Qayum hoped it would boost the growth of trade.
The ICP will operate under the Land Port Authority of India. The dry port has been equipped with scanners and all other necessary technology. The huge building complex would house offices of customs, immigration, and intelligence agencies as well as of security agencies. The dedicated passenger terminal would provide facilities to passengers, similar to those provided at international airports.
Statistics reveal that while the export of cargo from India has by and large remained unchanged, imports from Pakistan have increased manifold.
In 2011, the import of cargo from Pakistan was 44,000 tonnes, whereas in 2012, the imported cargo was 5.3 lakh tonnes. Customs officials say this sudden increase is primarily because of growing demand for Pakistani gypsum among cement manufactures in India.
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