By IANS,
Jammu : A 15-member traders’ delegation from Pakistan-administered Kashmir is scheduled to arrive in Jammu and Kashmir later this month to finalise commerce between the Indian and Pakistani parts of the state.
According to official sources here, the delegation will be arriving in Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, Sep 22 to hold talks with Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) and other business organisations to finalise the cross border trade between the divided parts of the state.
The delegation, said the sources, would also hold meetings with the state government officials and hold similar talks here Sep 25 and 26.
“A list of articles to be traded (across the de facto border between India and Pakistan) has been prepared by either side. They include 13 Pakistani items that can come to this side while there are about 26 Indian items that can go there,” president of Chamber of Commerce and Industries in Jammu Ram Sahai told IANS.
Pakistani items that can be marketed in Indian Kashmir include precious stones, namdas (small rough wool embroidered carpets), furniture, medicinal herbs, embroidered items, pinenuts, spices, dry seeds, dry dates, Bengal grams, pulses and rock salt.
Traders from this side of the border would be sending carpets, wall hangings, papier mache, shawls, crewel embroidery, Kashmiri woollen products, cricket bats, silk, Kashmiri dry fruits, Kashmiri wazwan (special food delicacies), basmati rice, fresh fruits, black mushroom, red kidney beans and green tea besides other items.
The trade is expected to start from two points — Uri-Muzaffarabad in the Kashmir valley and Poonch-Rawalakot in the Jammu region.
“A similar delegation from Indian side of Kashmir will be visiting Pakistani side in October this year to give final touches to the quantum and tune of trade to be carried out between two sides,” said the officials.
The trade between the two parts of Kashmir is expected to start in late October.