LoC truck service between India, Pak to start from Oct 21

Islamabad, Sept 27 : Goods trade between India and Pakistan through truck service will start on October 21 through the Uri-Muzaffarabad road in the Kashmir Valley, and through the Poonch-Rawalakot route on October 28, as hectic preparations are on, on both sides of the international border dividing India and Pakistan, reported The News.

The centre at Poonch, coming up at Rangar near the Chakan-da-Bagh crossing point on the Line of Control, will have truck terminal, godowns, customs and immigration offices, scanning chambers with X-ray machines, weighing bridge and security posts.

"The government had sanctioned Rs190 million for the development of infrastructure for cross-LoC trade at Rangar. The first phase of infrastructure will be ready by October 15 at a cost of Rs42.5 million," the paper quoted a Pakistani official as saying.

"Although we have very short time, we will complete it by the deadline before the start of the trade," he added.

In a significant decision expanding people-to-people contacts, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had agreed to LoC trade on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakote roads.

Though both sides say that items for trade have been decided, the list of items for intra-Kashmir trade has still not been made public.

ANI