Fazil Mir
Srinagar, Aug 08 (NVI): Former Chief Minister & PDP President, Mehbooba Mufti once again raised the issue of Cross border trade and bus service with POJK.
LoC traders are facing enormous issues due to closure of trade routes from Salamabad Uri to Muzaffarabad POJK, Mehbooba Mufti said on Friday.
In a press conference Mehbooba said that from 2019, the trade was stopped. This was the link between two nations. Businessmen associated with this sector are now unemployed. They were being raided by IT sometimes and demanded for tax from 2019. Where will they get the tax?
“I have shot a letter to the Union Home Minister as well with regard to this matter, urged him to personally intervene at the earliest. I am apprehensive that IT deptt. may seize their properties which is not acceptable.
Its consequences will not be good. The traders should be resumed with all the facilities like banking system, body scanners,” she added
In 2005, the Government of India initiated one of the most significant confidence-building measures in the region, namely the Cross LoC bus service. This initiative facilitated the reunion of divided families on either side of the Line of Control (LoC) and was a monumental step towards fostering peace and goodwill.
This was followed by the opening of Cross LoC trade through Uri and Poonch in 2008. While initiatives took shape during the UPA regime, it is crucial to acknowledge that the groundwork was laid by the NDA government under Late Vajpayee ji’s leadership.
The Cross LoC trade, conducted on a barter system, was a unique and effective means of connecting people across the LoC without involving any cash transactions.
However, it is deeply regrettable that both the bus service and the trade have been suspended since 2019, causing significant hardship to those who depended on them for their livelihood.
Adding to their woes, traders who participated in this barter trade are now being served with notices demanding tax payments for transactions that were non-monetary and did not involve any taxation at the time, Mehbooba said.
These demands are not only unjust but are also impossible for these traders to meet, given that thousands have already lost their livelihoods due to the suspension of trade, she added.
She requested Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene in this matter as it is imperative that these tax demands be withdrawn immediately to alleviate the anxieties of those affected.
She requested him to consider resuming the Cross LoC trade and bus service, which would serve as a significant confidence-building measure for the people of Jammu & Kashmir and a step towards restoring normalcy in the region. (News Vibes of India)
