Attari-Wagah border opens for Afghan trucks stranded in Pakistan
In a relief for traders since the de-escalation of military tension with Pakistan after the May 10 ceasefire, eight trucks carrying perishable goods from Afghanistan, which were among the 150 stranded between Lahore and Wagah border since April 24, crossed into India from the Attari integrated check post on Friday.
Official sources said eight trucks carrying dry fruits crossed the Attari-Wagah border, the only land link allowed for trade between India and Pakistan, in the afternoon.
Confirming the development, BK Bajaj, the president of the Indo-Foreign Chamber of Commerce, expressed relief and said: 'Eight trucks have come to the Indian side. Others are expected to come soon. We thank the Governments of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.'
Pakistan had suspended trade with India, including to and from any third country through its territory, on April 24 in response to the restrictions imposed by India following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. Following a recent request from the Afghan embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan decided to permit the 150 trucks that had entered its territory before April 25 to cross the border to India.
'Due to the closure of this route, the quality of the commodities was deteriorating. Indian importers make payment in advance to Afghan traders. We would have had to bear a huge loss if this route was not reopened,' said Mukesh Sidhwani, an Amritsar-based dry fruit trader.
Porters at the joint checkpost were also relieved. 'Our livelihood depends on cross-border trade. We were staring at a bleak future,' said Gursahib Singh, a porter at the Attari ICP.
Traders in Afghanistan had also warned of damage to the commodities due to the continued closure of the Attari-Wagah border, which is one the shortest and cheapest transit routes for trade with India.
After the Pulwama terror attack in February 2019 that left 44 CRPF personnel dead, India had restricted imports from Pakistan by hiking the custom duty to 200% from a mere 5%. Since then, import of goods from Pakistan was negligible. In August 2019, when the Narendra Modi-led government abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan ceased all trade ties with India. The neighbouring country also barred India from exporting goods to Afghanistan, though import of the Afghan goods, such as dry fruits and apples, remained normal even after Taliban took control of the country. Around 40-45 Afghan trucks were reaching Attari daily before the Pahalgam attack.
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