First trade via trucks between India, Pakistan flagged off

India and Pakistan on Monday allowed cross border movement of trucks to facilitate trade between the countries.

Wagah Border (Punjab), Oct. 1 : India and Pakistan on Monday allowed cross border movement of trucks to facilitate trade between the countries.

Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal flagged off a truck loaded with tomatoes from the Indian side.

Expressing confidence at the opening of border trade between the two countries, Badal said this would result in a spurt in the economic activity on both sides, generate employment and boost revenue.

"I congratulate the people of both the sides. I would also like to tell the people of Punjab that it had always been the demand of the Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party that trade should open. And that demand has been fulfilled today," he said.

The trucks from both countries will only drive only up to the customs house on the opposite side, located just one kilometer inside the border.

Only customs-cleared trucks with special permits for drivers will be allowed to go further into the country and unload their goods.

This is the first time in 60 years of history that both India and Pakistan are sending loaded trucks to each other's territory through the international Attari check post.

Earlier, trade shipments even for Lahore had to be routed through Mumbai to Karachi via Dubai, placing the Punjabi entrepreneurs at a severe economic disadvantage in an increasingly competitive world.

So far, goods were off-loaded by trucks in their own countries and then carried manually by hundreds of porters on both sides of the border.

When it came to large volumes, goods used to be carried on the Kandla-Dubai-Karachi route. With the time, distance and money involved, that process made no business sense.

This trade move is expected to boost direct trade between India and Pakistan four to five times.

ANI