SOURCE: TNN
The Afghanistan-India trade via Integrated Check Post (ICP), Attari, Amritsar , may resume in near future after Afghanistan and Pakistan decided to open Torkham and Chaman border for trade. The news has spread cheers among the importers of dry fruits and herbs from Afghanistan who were finding it hard to survive with the closure of Afghan trade via ICP after both India and Pakistan sealed the borders to contain the spread of corona virus.
According to sources, Pakistan’s’ ministry of interior, during its meeting held on May 15 had decided to open Torkham and Chaman borders round the clock and allowed movement of unlimited number of trucks between the two countries. Sources informed that since Afghanistan and Pakistan had opened their borders so they believed that the next step would be opening of Indo-Pak border via ICP for the Afghanistan trade for which Pakistan will provide transit passage even as the trade with Pakistan would continue to be suspended.President of federation of Karyana and dry fruit commercial association Anil Mehra said “The news of opening of Afghanistan-Pakistan has come as a major relief to the importers whose survival depends on the trade with Afghanistan.”
He claimed that Afghan dry fruits and herbs including rattan jot, jira, mulethi trade was over rupees one crore with India. He further said that with partial opening of markets and lifting of lockdown , the importers were hopeful of early liquidation of their stocks and would want resumption of trade with Afghanistan.
Though there is no official information about resumption of Afghan trade but sources informed that concerned departments have buckled themselves up with the hope of opening of ICP for Afghan trade any time now. The importers and exporters here are also of view that Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan should also reconsider over suspension of trade with India.
https://defencenewsofindia.com/hope-of-opening-of-afghan-india-trade-via-icp-after-pakistan-opened-its-borders-with-afghan-for-trade/
