India, Pak agree on LoC trade

SRINAGAR: World-famous Kashmiri silk carpets and Pashmina shawls will soon be available in the Pakistan market, thanks to a central government decision to allow trade across the line of control (LoC) from next year.

After hectic lobbying, the Pakistan government has agreed to import nine select items from Jammu and Kashmir. These include Kashmiri carpets, apples and the mouth-watering wazwan.

“We hope to have active trade across the LoC by the first half of next year. The ministry of external affairs has invited a technical team from Pakistan to finalise their list of items to be traded. Once an agreement is reached, the trade should not take more than a couple of weeks to begin,” said Jairam Ramesh, Union minister of state for commerce.

The minister said India’s list of nine was finalised from those submitted by the J&K and central governments and with Pakistan’s nod. “The J&K government submitted its list two years ago, after which the Centre finalised its own and forwarded it to the Pakistan government. Pakistan made a few deletions and returned the list for finalisation,” he said.

The items to be traded include carpets, rugs, chain-stitch, wall hangings, shawls, embroidery, handicraft, furniture and other wooden items, silk and silk products, Kashmiri fruits, spices and flowers, Kashmiri saffron, Kashmiri wazwan and aromatic and fruit-bearing plants.

“Of the 14 items proposed by us, Pakistan rejected five. They include leather and leather products, juice, jam, pickle and honey, tin foods, copper and sliver items and fabricated gold ornaments,” Ramesh said.

Kashmiri Inc is happy as this pact will double horticulture sales and boost handicraft sales by 30 to 50 pc. “We are happy because the main items have been included in the duty free list,” said Mubeen Shah, president Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry.