Kashmiri traders may not admit it publicly, but Indian market prices are better than what across-the-LOC has to offer
More Kashmir based firms opt for Poonch route
Jammu: More Kashmir based business firms have started giving preference to cross-LoC trade from Poonch-Rawlakote route in Jammu region instead of Uri-Muzaffarabad in the Valley, mainly due to the fact that there was no report of any misunderstanding between the traders importing and exporting items on the barter system.
Only this week, two new trading companies from Kulgam district in the Kashmir valley conducted trade with PoK based firms through Poonch-Rawlakote route exporting tonnes of imli and rajmash.
Confirming that two new companies from the Valley joined the cross-LoC trade through Chakan-Da-Bagh route this Tuesday and Wednesday, official sources said there was no bar on the businessmen of entire Jammu and Kashmir to carry out trade with their counterparts in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) from either of the two routes—Poonch-Rawlakote and Uri-Muzaffarabad.
However, they declined to comment on the reasons for Kashmir based traders opting for Poonch-Rawlakote route instead of Uri-Muzaffarabad.
Reports said Business Lines Trading Company, Kulgam conducted trade with Business Lines Trading Company, Muzaffarabad exporting tonnes of imli.
Mehmood Dar, Proprietor of Business Lines, Kulgam and Zahoor Dar, Proprietor of Business Lines, Muzaffarabad were in blood relation, reports said, adding they were divided in 1971 when Zahoor Dar left for PoK.
Both of them have kept same names of their company and were reported to be dealing in wholesale business of karyana and other items.
Yet another firm from the Kashmir valley conducted trade with a Muzaffarabad based company from Poonch-Rawlakote route on Wednesday.
M/s SAT Traders, Yaripora (Kulgam) exported tonnes of rajmash to Maud Trading Company, Muzaffarabad.
Both the firms of Kashmir valley were, however, yet to receive items and the consignments from their trading partners in PoK. It couldn’t be ascertained as to which items they have asked for from their counterparts in other part of the divided State.
Prior to this, about half a dozen firms from the Kashmir valley had conducted cross-LoC trade from Poonch-Rawlakote route.
According to sources, most of the companies in both parts of the divided State, dealing with barter system of trade were fully satisfied with import-export of items. The companies on both sides were receiving an equal amount of items after working out the currency variation of India and Pakistan which was the major factor that none of them had any complaint with each other.
It may be mentioned here that in the absence of any currency guidelines between India and Pakistan, cross-LoC trade between two parts of divided State on both Poonch-Rawlakote and Uri-Muzaffarabad route, which were simultaneously opened on October 22 last year, was going on barter system.
(Daily Excelsior)