Centre plans eight new trade routes across LoC

A senior official said the proposal has been given a go-ahead by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cricket diplomacy, where he reached out to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ahead of the Cricket World Cup, the NDA government is planning to open at least eight new routes for cross-border trade between the two countries in J&K. Presently, there are two routes — Uri-Salamabad and Poonch-Rawalkote — that are used for trade purpose across the Line of Control (LoC). Among the routes that the government is contemplating to make operational is also the Kargil-Skardu route, that forms an integral part of the ancient Silk Route which connected Asia, Europe and Africa.

Sources said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had sent a proposal to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and invited comments on opening the new trade routes. A senior official said the proposal has been given a go-ahead by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the MEA was expected to take it forward with Pakistan through bilateral channels.

The eight trade routes that have been suggested by the government are Jhangani-Mirpur, Mendhar-Kotli, Jammu-Sialkot, Skardu-Kargil, Turtuk-Khapulu, Chamb-Nonian to Mirpur (across Munawar-Tawi), Gurez-Astoor and Gilgit Titwal-Chilham (across Neelam Valley).

“The new routes have been shortlisted after longstanding demands of the local population in J&K. To bring in normalcy, we will have to boost trade and commerce between the countries. There would be many security implications to the proposal but some concrete steps will have to be taken… The other major thing is reciprocity from Pakistan’s side,” said a senior government official.