JKNT
New Delhi/ Srinagar October 28: The trade ties between India and Pakistan have come under extra strain following the military and diplomatic hostilities between the two countries in the past few days , this may affect the cross-Line of Control trade and travel as well, according to sources.
Pakistani traders who find the hostilities as hurdles have laid bare their intentions of suspending trade with India, apparently under the pressure from all powerful military over there.
India and Pakistan have been experiencing heightened tensions after the September 18th terror attack in Uri , Kashmir, now owned by Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba, a strategic asset arm of Pakistan’s ISI and army.
Following the surgical strikes by the Indian army, Pakistan has upped the ante on the borders. Delhi and Islamabad’s relations saw a diplomatic low when in tit-for-tat actions , the two sides expelled each other’s diplomatic staff. While Delhi claimed that Pakistan High Commission’s staff Mehmood Akhtar was caught red-handed while purchasing sensitive matters regarding defence matters from two Indians, Pakistan gave no reason for declaring Sujit Kumar as persona non-grata.
These diplomatic and military skirmishes have cast a shadow on the trade between two countries.
According to a report published in Dawn newspaper on Friday quoted the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry ( FPCCI) saying that it would consider suspending trade with India if the situation did not improve soon .
FPCCI president Abdul Rauf Alam said that Pakistan had “no compulsions of any sort to continue business and trade relations with India under the current hostile conditions. “
He said that the “entire Pakistani business community was united to take any decision and given the tense situation in the region, it was not possible to continue trade relations with India.”
