The Fourth Traders meet of this year and first after suspension of trade due to volatile situation between armies of both sides at Krishna Ghati sector is scheduled to be organised on July 18 next at Chakkan-Da-Bagh.
Traders from both sides of divided Jammu and Kashmir will meet at around 11.30 AM on July 18. Both sides are demanding presence of defaulter traders during the meet on priority so that their accounts are cleared. Traders have decided to further strengthen Cross LoC Joint Traders Federation and will discuss various issues of traders participating in Cross LoC trade.
“We have constituted joint traders federation this month and in this traders meet we will discuss various issues,” said Cross LoC Traders Association President Pawan Anand adding that role of this federation is to look in to various issues of traders including registration of traders, Cross LoC trade, enhancement in items and various other issues.
He said that it is possible that members of Joint LoC Federation from this route may further organise a separate meeting on July 18 at Chakan-Da-Bagh to discuss various issues of federation. “I have already requested Pakistani authorities to bring defaulter traders in the traders meet and as per sources at Trade Facilitation Centre authorities of both sides have exchanged list of defaulters,” he stated.
Pertinently, in last traders meet, traders from Azad Kashmir protested by showing black flags to officers from both sides as Indian authorities did not bring defaulter traders with them while Indian authorities forcefully brought a Jammu based trader in the traders meet at Chakan-Da-Bagh.
Custodian Cross LoC trade, Abdul Hamid, when contacted said, “We have exchanged the list of traders willing to participate in cross LoC trade. Azad traders demanded 32 Indian defaulter traders while Indian traders demanded 25 AJK defaulter traders to be present in July 18 meet. We will bring all defaulter traders in the trader meet and it depends on AJK administration whether they will bring all defaulter traders.”
LoC Trader Association General Secretary Krishan Singh said that in the last traders meet, all defaulter Indian traders, excluding the two were present. “Azad Kashmir authorities did not bring defaulter traders in the last traders meet now we have given a notice to AJK authorities through Custodian Trade for bringing all defaulter traders with them in this traders meet,” he maintained.
