Srinagar, June 19: Even as the trade across the LoC from Chakan-da-Bagh remains in limbo, the Valley traders continued with their trade through Salamabad route.
 As per the officials at Trade Facilitation Centre Salamabad, Uri, goods worth Rs 6.2 crore were exchanged between two parts of Kashmir this week.
  “Although Valley traders are very much dejected over the ban on the trade of various items, they have decided to discuss the things face-to-face with the authorities rather than boycotting the trade,” said Muhammad Ashraf Wani, trade facilitation officer TFC Salamabad and general manager DIC Varmul.
  “We are not on boycott. We are continuing with the trade,” confirmed Hilal Ahmad Turki, spokesperson Salamabad-Chakoti Traders’ Association.
 He said the Valley traders were currently putting their demands before the government. “We have in fact presented our memorandum to the state and centre level higher authorities, who have assured us that they shall raise the issue at the time of the forthcoming meeting of the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan,” he said.
 Pertinently, the trade was suspended by Poonch traders two weeks back following ban on some items from the list of ‘tradable-items’ by the government. Meanwhile, the authorities have now imposed ban on the import of another herb, Reintha, after Ajawain, Mulathi and Zeera, officials said.
 The Valley traders, however, said boycotting the trade was “no solution to the issue. And we will continue with the trade in future also.”
 Meanwhile, goods worth Rs 24469215 were exported to PaK in 78 trucks this week. The consignments that mostly comprised of red chilies and coconut weighed 4631 quintals. “Besides, goods worth Rs 3.84 crore were imported from the Chakoti Trade Centre, PaK in 38 trucks.  The consignments were weighing 1355 quintals and included 339 carpet rolls apart from some other items,” said Wani.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 19 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 Jun 2010 00:00:00 IST