Cross border trade another milestone: Governor

Salamabad, Uri, Oct 21 (UNI) Describing the Cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade as an important Confidence Building Measure (CBM) aimed at normalising Indo-Pak relations, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra said the people of state would benefit from this measure as the trade links would open up new vistas of economic progress in the region.

Speaking on the occasion, after flagging the truck service to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), here, Mr Vohra said it was yet another milestone in strengthening the relations with Pakistan.

He dwelt on the background of resuming the cross-LoC trade and said the need for people-to-people contacts had been felt during the interactions with various social and political organisations a few years ago when the Prime Minister's Round Table Conference on J&K had constituted five Working Groups on different subjects.

Mr Vohra said the bus service has successfully been plying on these two routes and the beginning of trade was yet another milestone in strengthening the relations with Pakistan.

Referring to the recent visit of the PoK Chamber in the Valley, the Governor said such visits were imperative for examining the whole gamut of trading between the two sides.

He expressed the hope that as the trade between the two sides progressed, the range and volume of goods to be imported or exported would also increase simultaneously.

The Governor complimented the Baramulla District Administration for raising the basic infrastructure for the Trade Facilitation Centre in a record time. He said the work on the second phase of the trading complex would be taken up soon.

The people of the area greeted the Governor as he arrived to commence the historic Cross-LoC-Trade. Schoolchildren also presented a variety of programmes on the occasion.

UNI BAS RSA SB KP1818