SRINAGAR: A trade facilitation centre (TFC) at Salamabad in border town Uri, which once facilitated duty-free, cashless barter trade between J&K and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), will now be used for border tourism, ending speculation about resumption of trade through the route.A senior tourism department official confirmed the govt had authorised the department to utilise the TFC located in Baramulla district for tourism-related activities. “The larger objective is to use Salamabad as a gateway to the wider Uri border tourism circuit,” the official said. He added that the emphasis will be on “regulated, responsible and curated border tourism”, ensuring that these remain fully aligned with security and administrative requirements.Salamabad TFC, around 100 km north of Srinagar, was originally established for cross-LoC trade. Following the suspension of such trade in 2019, the facility has remained unutilised for its original purpose.After improved relations in 2008, both India and Pakistan decided to allow cross-LoC trade and travel on certain conditions as part of confidence-building measures (CBMs). However, in April 2019, the Centre suspended the facilities saying the trade routes were being misused for funneling illegal weapons, narcotics, and fake currency.“During ongoing investigations of certain cases by NIA, it has been brought out that a significant number of trading concerns engaged in LoC trade are operated by persons closely associated with banned terrorist organisations involved in fuelling terrorism/separatism,” a Union home ministry (MHA) release had said then. The statement also mentioned that some individuals, who had crossed over and joined terror outfits, had opened trading firms in Pakistan.
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The cross-LoC travel (bus service) and trade were seen as two of the biggest CBMs between the neighbours in decades. Then PM Manmohan Singh flagged off Karwaan-e-Aman (peace caravan), the first cross-LoC bus service that connected Srinagar with Muzaffarabad in PoK, on April 7, 2005.Cross-LoC barter trade began on Oct 21, 2008, through two routes — Salamabad (Uri)-Muzaffarabad (PoK) and Poonch-Rawalakot (PoK). Traders on either side were permitted to exchange 21 mutually agreed items.Both sides constructed TFCs 5km inside LoC. In J&K, one TFC came up at Salamabad and the other at Chakan da bagh in Jammu’s Poonch district. Trade was allowed through both routes four days a week.
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