Passenger flow, trade come to a halt as govt shuts Attari

NEW DELHI: Govt's decision to close the Attari border is set to significantly impact cross-border movement - halting passenger travel and bringing an end to the limited trade that was still taking place via the land route.
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According to data on the
Land Port Authority of India
website, during 2022-23, over 70,000 passengers moved through the Attari-Wagah border, while nearly 7,000 consignments, valued at around Rs 3,900 crore, flowed in and out of the country.
Soyabean, chicken feed, red chillies, vegetables and plastic yarn and dana (granules) were among the items shipped to Pakistan through the route, according to the website, while dry fruits, gypsum, cement, glass, rock salt and herbs came into India, some of which also arrived from Afghanistan.
Former commerce secretary
Rajeev Kher
said govt's decision is a demonstration of its intent to stop flows and will have an impact on the people in Pakistan who depend on Indian products. "At this point, there is little trade from Attari.
Officially Pakistan has closed trade with India. However, there is a trade of around $1billion with Pakistan and a minuscule quantity of imports of around $30 million but the trade from Attari has largely remained closed," said director general at Research and Information System for Developing Countries, adding that there was a need to show a tough stand.
Pakistan has been advocating trade through the land route and some in India too were demanding more liberal rules. A few days ago, Shiromani Akali Dal workers also clashed with Border Security Force personnel near the Attari Integrated Check Post, demanding reopening of the border for trade.
India's response after the Pahalgam carnage is seen as a signal that trade and people's relations can only be normalised if Pakistan stopped sponsoring terror.
Post the Pulwama attacks in February 2019, the Union govt had withdrawn the most-favoured nation granted to Pakistan and raised import duty to 200% on goods from Pakistan across the border.

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