Centre suspends cross LoC trade

Srinagar: The Centre has decided to suspend cross Line of Control (LoC) trade with Pakistan from both Uri and Poonch areas after it gave the details of reasons of such move amid ongoing the Parliamentary elections. Mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have accused th e Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led  Central government of taking such decisions in order to get political   that the Narendra Modi government, after failing on all fronts, is now using Kashmir in rest of the country to get votes.

However, the Centre has said that cross LoC trade was suspended on the basis of intelligence reports that this trade was being used to infiltrate third party goods like sending almonds
produced in California through this route. The government said that LoC trade was also being used to send funds for terror
activities. While giving details of inputs, it said that cross LoC trade was being used as a regular channel for sending drugs like cocaine to the Kashmir valley. The government further said that arms and ammunition was being smuggled to Kashmir Valley via this trade route. Also, the government said the neighbouring country was pumping fake currency notes through this trade route.

Former CM Omar Abdullah has said that this move of the Modi government will not only add to the sense of alienation in Kashmir, but will strain relations with Pakistan. Omar Abdullah said that the BJP government was undoing the peace initiatives that were taken by the Vajpayee government.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said that stopping of cross LoC trade was yet another attempt by the Modi government to use Kashmir as “scapegoat” for electoral gains.