ISLAMABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Travel and Trade Authority (TATA) has recommended the establishment of a dry port or a customs facilitation centre in Muzaffarabad or Rawalakot.
TATA was also planning to establish two well-equipped quarantine labs and fumigation chambers at both crossing points to impose restrictions on fruits and vegetable carrying viruses harmful to local plants and crops.
A total of 99,312 trucks, carrying goods worth Rs 28.860 billion crossed the Line of Control (LoC) on both sides of Kashmir in the last nine years, said TATA.
According to a TATA report available with APP, a total of 25,527 trucks crossed over to Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) from Chakoti from 2008 to 2018 while 39,587 trucks crossed over to AJK from the IOK in the last nine years. As many as 11,823 trucks crossed over to occupied Kashmir from AJK from Tetrinote while 20,375 crossed Tetrinote to from IOK in the last nine years.
Cross border trade had increased gradually in the last nine years. In 2011, the number of trading days increased from two days to four days a week, while in 2014, the capacity of goods carrying trucks was enhanced from 1.5 tons to 9 tons.
