KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
The traders of divided Jammu and Kashmir concluded the two-day meet in Dubai, pitching up for the demands of opening more trade routes on Line of Control, inclusion of more tradable items in the list, and easing up travel and banking facilities for the trade.
The trade leaders met in Dubai for two days on 16 and 17 this week at a hotel there to discuss the problems being faced in the trade and find out the ways as to how press before the governments in India and Pakistan to remove bottlenecks in carrying out the free intra-Kashmir trade.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Mushtaq Wani, who attended the meeting, told KNS that the business leaders from both the sides welcomed the thaw in Indo-Pak relations, and beginning of dialogue process.
He said traders raised the demands of communication, banking facilities, customs, travel, multi-entry permit for traders.
Since the LoC trade was started in 2008, absence of these facilities has been main hindrance in smooth flow of trade commodities and transaction of business.
From the state trade leaders including Mohammad Yasin Khan, Chairman Kashmir Economic Alliance, Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, president Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, president Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir and Hilal Turkey, General Secretary of Cross LoC traders federation, President Cross LoC Trade, Chakan da Bagh, Pawan Anand, President Joint Chamber of Commerce Prakash Gupta and former LoC traders president Y V Sharma attended the meeting.
From Pakistan Administered Kashmir, Zulfkar Abbasi, Mahmood Dar, Sardar Kareem, Kashif Ahmad, Sardar Tanveer Ahmad, Deputy Speaker Assembly Dr Shaheena Kausar Dar participated in the meeting.
It is for the first time that top officials of India and Pakistan are meeting with the traders of Jammu and Kashmir to discuss problems being faced by the traders of the state.
Before the traders left for Dubai, in Delhi they had met PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, State Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, former GOC 15 Corps Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, retired Marshal Kapil Tak, World Bank representative Dr Sanjay, where they all welcomed the resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan.
