Cross-border trade with Pakistan stands suspended through Attari-Wagah and Hussainiwala land routes, while the trade movement continues via Mundra Port and through UAE. The Kirti Kisan Union, a farmers’ body claims the distance between Amritsar and Lahore is merely 54km and from Ferozepur, Kasur is just 25km away. If trade could be done through Mundra port, then why not via Punjab, which could be cheaper and beneficial for the economy of the northern India.
The Union’s General Secretary, Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala said, “The Indian government could earn custom duty if it is resumed. As per a World Trade Organisation report, there is a possibility of nearly $37 billion trade between India and Pakistan, which is currently at just $3 billion. As per the study by the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development, there are possibilities of trade to get extended to the Middle East and beyond,” he claimed.
