CHANDIGARH: After the de-escalation of military tension between India and Pakistan after the May 10 ceasefire, India is learn to have approved the entry of 162 trucks from Afghanistan carrying dry fruits and herbs through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari on Friday.
Since April 22, after the closure of the Attari-Wagah border, no trucks carrying dry fruits have arrived from Kandahar in Afghanistan to Attari. Most of the dry fruits come from Kandahar, with some items sourced from Kabul.
The clearance was granted by the Indian government following a request from Afghan authorities. The office of the Deputy Commissioner of Customs, ICP Attari, has recently sent a communication to the Assistant Director at the Land Customs Station, Wagah, Lahore, citing that the Afghanistan authorities have requested the Indian Ministry of External Affairs for the facilitation of 162 freight trucks, said the official.
The Indian Government has given necessary permission to allow the trucks to enter India through the Wagah-Attari Border, and Indian customs have made necessary arrangements to facilitate the movement of cargo in these trucks, the official added.
Speaking to TNIE, National President of the Federation of Grocery and Dry fruit Commercial Association, Anil Mehra said that only those trucks from Afghanistan have been allowed to enter India.’
On Thursday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had a telephone conversation with acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The discussion came days after the Taliban administration condemned the Pahalgam terror attack. "Good conversation with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi this evening. Deeply appreciate his condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, and welcomed his firm rejection of recent attempts to create distrust between India and Afghanistan through false and baseless reports. Underlined our traditional friendship with the Afghan people and continuing support for their development needs, discussed ways and means of taking cooperation forward,’’ Jaishankar wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Pakistan had suspended trade with India, including to and from any third country through its territory, following the restrictions imposed by Indian on April 24 after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 tourists were shot dead.
After the Pulwama terror attack in 2019, in which 44 CRPF personnel were killed, the Indian government had restricted imports from Pakistan by hiking the custom duty to 200 per cent, from a mere 5 per cent. Since then, good import from Pakistan has almost stopped. In August 2019, when New Delhi abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan had ceased all trade relations with India.