Around 114kg of narcotics seized by J&K authorities crossing the LoC from Pakistan
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir seized a goods truck coming from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) with 114 kg of narcotics and arrested its driver, triggering the suspension of cross-LoC trade and tit-for-tat actions from both sides.
Official sources said Pakistan has taken a serious note of the arrest of driver Muhammad Shafiq Awan of Muzaffarabad, and detained 27 Kashmiri trucks that had crossed Kaman bridge on Friday to deliver goods at Chokoti trade facilitation centre in PoK.
In retaliation, Jammu and Kashmir officials did not allow 48 Pakistani trucks, which had unloaded goods at Salamabad in Uri town, to leave for Muzaffarabad.
Seized: Pakistani trucks entering the Trade Facilitation Centre in Uri
Pakistan has demanded the release of the arrested driver to let go the Indian trucks, police sources said.
Pakistan claims the driver is innocent and has been implicated.
Baramulla Deputy Commissioner Khwaja Ghulam Muhammad on Saturday held talks with his counterpart, the Muzaffarabad deputy commissioner, on the issue but failed to break the deadlock.
Sources said Pakistani authorities argue that under standard operating procedures, which guide cross-LoC barter trade, the driver should not have been arrested by Jammu and Kashmir police; instead he should have been handed over to Pakistani authorities.
J&K Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo said the issue will be taken up with the External Affairs Ministry.
The state police on Friday night claimed recovery of 114 packets of brown sugar, worth about Rs 114 crore in the international market, from a truck coming from Pakistan at Salamabad.
"During the checking of trucks coming from Pakistan on Friday, we recovered 114 packets of brown sugar from an almond-loaded truck," said J.P. Singh, deputy inspector general of police, Baramulla.
"The authorities have decided to suspend the trade with PoK after the recovery" Singh said, adding that the recovery of contraband has promoted police to re-verify credentials of the traders associated with the LoC trade.
Singh alleged that such a huge quantity of narcotics cannot be smuggled without the connivance of the agency like ISI.
The cross-LoC trade between the divided parts of Kashmir was started as the biggest confidence building measure by New Delhi and Islamabad on October 21, 2008.
