Attari open for trade, why not Hussainiwala too, says Sidhu

FEROZEPUR : The joint checkpost between India and Pakistan at the border in Hussainiwala, 12km from district headquarters Ferozepur, “deserves to be opened for traffic and trade between the two countries”, said Punjab tourism minister Navjot Singh Sidhu after he paid tributes at the memorial dedicated to martyrs Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev there on Monday evening.

This border crossing was open to trade before the 1971 war. “If we can have trade from Wagah-Attari (near Amritsar), then why can’t from Hussainiwala? It will lead to prosperity across the fencing too, besides enhancing social-economic bonding between the two nations,” said Sidhu, who is a former MP from Amritsar.

He was accompanied by Ferozepur divisional commissioner VK Meena, and Congress MLAs Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi and Satkar Kaur.

“I will take this up with chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to further pursue the matter with the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre,” he said. Sidhu also asked deputy commissioner Ramvir to prepare a plan to develop the area as a tourism hub.

“To bring Hussainiwala memorial and other historical monuments in Ferozepur on the tourism map, a special team from the state government will visit the area and prepare a comprehensive plan,” he added.

He further said the government will develop a tourism trail between Amritsar and Ferozepur via Harike.