KL Report
SRINAGAR
Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) government has accused India of “conspiring” to wind up intra Kashmir trade. It however, did not came clear about the Brown Sugar which was seized from one of its Trucks in Uri.
Alleging that India was “conspiring to roll back trade”, PaK minister however said, “Pakistan had taken up the issue with the Indian government and within a day or two all stumbling blocks to its resumption would be removed.”
“We are not averse to the intra-Kashmir trade. In fact the bus service and trade are paving way for resolution of the core issue of Kashmir,” PaK Finance Minister, Chaudhry Latif Akbar reportedly said during a visit to the Chakothi Trade and Travel Facilitation Centre, on the other side of LoC.
Akbar, who is also secretary general of the ruling People’s Party in PaK, met the 27 drivers from this side of Kashmir who have been stranded following a standoff since Jan 17 when Police claimed a seizure of 114 packets of Brown Sugar from a truck of PaK and arrested the driver concerned.
Since then, 49 trucks and their drivers are stuck up on both the sides of LoC. Tans-LoC travel is also suspended ever since.
PaK minister said he believed that trans-LoC trade would economically strengthen the Kashmiris on both sides of the dividing line.
“Unfortunately, India always comes up with excuses to disrupt relations with Pakistan… It has frustrated the spirit of the peace process, either by resorting to shelling along the LoC or hurling baseless accusations vis-à-vis travel and trade,” he said adding “But, time had come to remove misgivings and distances.”
Pertinently, a huge howl of Brown Sugar was seized from a Truck which had come with Almonds.
