Drama At LoC: Meeting Fails, Deadlock Continues

KL Report

SRINAGAR

The meeting between officials from India and Pakistan failed in resolving the crisis in cross-LoC trade as both the sides asserted their authority and rights. While Indian team said a crime has been committed and the law will take its own course, Pakistani stated that they have sent the truck scanned and will not permit any return of their incomplete convoy comprising 49 trucks.

“The meeting took place at the Kaman Post and it lasted more than an hour,” a trader privy of the happenings said. “Both the sides asserted their positions and the deadlock continues.”

Pakistani side was represented by DG trade who was accompanied by a Major rank army officer and a police inspector. Indian team comprised of DC Baramulla, a senior industries officer and a few officials from police and army. As there was no headway, the crisis continues.

The flag meeting between the two sides facilitating the barter trade was scheduled instantly after Pakistan refused to permit back its 48 of the 49 truck convoy. The one truck that was missing in the convoy was the one which carried the 114 bags of brown sugar worth Rs 114 crore in international market. The truck driver Mohammad Shafiq was carrying almonds from Muzaffarabad based al-Fajr company to Showkat Habib of Bandipore in his truck RIS 2137. The truck was seized after the police registered a formal case and the driver was arrested.

As Pakistan did not permit its own convoy to return home, it also did not permit the 27 trucks from J&K that were at Chakothi. Now the two sides have are in possession and control of the two convoys of each side, which is the first major crisis in the cross-LoC trade, otherwise facing lot many issues.

Officials were not immediately available for the comment. Their aides said they were travelling back to Baramulla and might be on some road stretch which is inaccessible to cell phone signals. There was no next date immediate decided by the two sides for the next meeting. The crisis is expected to spill over to next week which could impact the trading and even travel.

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