The size of Pak-Indian anger over the rising tensions between the two states was evident in the rush to the Monday-evening retreat ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border.
Despite security enhancement, the Indian attendance was big at the border. The Pakistan Rangers was eyeball to eyeball with Indian Border Security Force (BSF) during the evening parade along the zero line.
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Cross-border trade
Indian traders dealing in import and export of goods with Pakistan on Monday in the aftermath of Uri attack threatened to end Rs 3,000 crore worth of trade with Pakistan.
“Time has come for India to take strict and swift action against Pakistan, which is responsible for the Uri terror attack that left our several soldiers dead,” Amritsar-based trader and president of Federation of Dry Fruit and Haryana Commercial Association, Anil Mehra, alleged while talking to Press Trust of India(PTI) on Monday.
Mehra said traders in Punjab are ready to end trade ties with Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah land route.
“For us, the country comes first and then comes trade. We will do something else for our livelihood,” said Mehra.
Pakistan exports cement, gypsum and dry fruits to the country via the Attari-Wagah land route.
“If we today stop sending tomatoes, which has been the major export item to Pakistan, they will face an immense shortage of this perishable commodity.
Pakistan allows import of 137 items from India through Attari-Wagah.
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As per estimates, the total volume of trade between the two nations via Attari-Wagah has estimated at Rs 3,000 crore per annum.
India and Pakistan had resumed cross-border movement of trucks in October 2007 after a gap of sixty years from Attari check post at Amritsar in India to Wagah border in Pakistan.
An integrated check-post was set up on the Attari-Wagah border in 2012 at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore for smooth movement of traffic.
Passengers calm
The security of cross-border train Samjhauta Express has been increased after the Uri terror attack.
There was, however, no dip in the volume of passengers commuting between Lahore and Delhi via this train that runs twice a week.
On Monday, 130 people left Attari for Pakistan. The railway authorities said this was the average number. Most of the 180 passengers arriving from Pakistan said they were unaware of the terror attack. “We are coming from Karachi,” said Pakistan national Salman. “We were aboard the train, so we must have missed the news.”
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Only solution is peace talks
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