Poonch/Rajouri, June 22: The officers of district administration Poonch had to eat a humble pie on Tuesday after their attempt to restore cross Line of Control (LoC) trade proved futile as no one from the other side of came to receive the items carried upto Chakan-da-Bagh in six trucks.
 Sources said that following the dead-lock between the cross-LoC traders and the district administration, the officials had persuaded a fraction of traders from Jammu to resume trade. “Six trucks loaded with some commodities were brought from Jammu and taken to Chankan-da-Bagh in tight security”, sources told Greater Kashmir adding that the attempt proved futile as no trader from PaK side came to receive the items.
 The boycott entered fourth week, today, as the traders refused to resume trade despite hectic efforts by the local administration. “It is clear that the trade is unlikely to resume even next week”, one of the traders claimed adding that the district administration, instead of conceding their demand, was now trying to divide the traders.
 The trade was suspended by the businessmen after Trade Facilitation Authorities refused to allow import and export of Ajwain and Zira on the ground that the items do not figured in 21 items approved for import-export by the Indian and Pakistani governments. The authorities are insisting that they can not go beyond the Standing Operation Procedures (SOP) to facilitate the trade.
  Official sources said that the businessmen from Rawalakote side refused to accept the items today and insisted that they will trade only with the local traders.
 Pawan Annand, one of the leaders of the Poonch –Rawalakote Trade Union, claimed that the government was trying to sideline the protesting traders and it had arranged some outsider to give an impression that the trade has resumed.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 IST