Traders want governments to open India-Pakistan trade routes

CHANDIGARH: Can trade bring India and Pakistan closer? Even as a five member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan reached India on Sunday to carry out a probe into the attack at the IAF base at Pathankot, traders from the two border cities –Amritsar and Lahore, across the border in the Eastern and Western Punjab, of India and Pakistan, make frantic efforts to augment trade ties through “Wagah-Attari” border.

"Businesses can bring both nations together once again,' says Kirat Singh - an exporter of perishable vegetables on the Amritsar -Wagah road.

"Once thriving business towns, these cities had to suffer a lot with the closure of trade route. Industry also shunned border towns, as tensions mounted to new levels between two nations in the past, ”Singh adds.

It was in 2012, Former Home Minister P Chidambaram inaugurated the Integrated Check Post at Wagah. Encouraged by the development, Akail led Punjab Government has sought, Union Government to take credible steps to open 'Fazilka' and 'Ferozepur' borders, on the lines of ‘Wagah-Attari’.

Nearly 6,000 items can now be imported into Pakistan from India as against less than 2,000 items earlier. If, 'Chamber of Commerce & Industry' from the cities of Rawal Pindi, Gujrat and Gujranwala in Pakistan are pressing the Pakistan Government to reduce the sensitive items list numbering 1100 products for export-import, by more than half in coming times, back home, the Indian traders are lobbying to enhance the list of items for export/import from 800 to 10,000.

However, Terror attacks at Pathankot played a spoilsport to their expectations.

Notwithstanding, 22 per cent consumer population, regional trade between South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations is less than 4.5 percent. Sample this: Regional trade among North American countries is 63 per cent. In European Union, trade within countries stands at 51 per cent. Trade within ASEAN countries is 31 per cent. In Central Africa it is 11 per cent. In case of SAARC region, regional trade of 4.5 per cent, is weakest in the world.

“This is despite the fact that our cultures, manners are same, "Prof. Surinder Shukla, a political scientist at Panjab University says.

“To curb third party trade, both India and Pakistan should come up with a policy for opening the borders for trade and commerce", R S Sachdeva, Chairman, Punjab State Council, PHD Chamber says.

Exporters also call for liberalization of visa regime, which politicians feel is a distant dream.

Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce & Industry Chairman Khurshid Barlas says "There should be no requirement of visa for Pakistan and Indian traders. This would pave way for mutual cooperation and unprecedented growth in bilateral trade."

Informal trade between India and Pakistan via third countries like the United Arab Emirates (mainly Dubai), Singapore and Hong Kong is estimated at five to seven billion dollars. Legalisation of trade is expected to reduce costs and increase government revenue by collecting duties on imports, feel experts.

ASSOCHAM Director (North) Dalip Sharma says, "There should be more openings of trade routes with Pakistan. For instance from Hussainiwala border. This can boost the trade of all the Norther states and not just Punjab.'