J&K: 34 companies in PoK blacklisted, banned from cross LoC trade

The action comes more than two weeks after police recovered 66.5 kilogram of heroin and brown sugar from a truck coming from PoK at Salamabad trade facilitation centre on July 21.

Srinagar, Aug 11: In a circular issued to all traders in Jammu and Kashmir, a total of 34 companies in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) have been banned from carrying out any trade activity on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, officials said.

Custodian of cross LoC trade Sagar D Doifode issued a circular to all traders in Jammu and Kashmir directing them not to enter into any export or import business with the 34 blacklisted companies, they said.

The ban has followed joint efforts by authorities of Jammu and Kashmir and PoK to weed out any illegal activity on cross LoC trade routes, the officials said.

The action comes more than two weeks after police recovered 66.5 kilogram of heroin and brown sugar from a truck coming from PoK at Salamabad trade facilitation centre on July 21.

It was only in 2008 that trade was first allowed across the LoC between Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). However, the trade was duty free as the items traded were treated as 'goods traded in' and 'goods traded out' and not as imports and exports. This because officially India considers PoK to be an integral part of India.

PTI