NO TRADE VIA ATTARI, FOR NOW
NO BUSINESS, FOR NOW Central govt order won’t affect Indian travellers returning home; those coming back via Pakistan from seven worst-hit countries to be quarantined for at least 15 days
AMRITSAR: The central government on Friday suspended cross-border trade and movement of passengers through the Attari integrated check-post (ICP) near Amritsar till April 15 as a precautionary measure against coronavirus.
AMRITSAR : The central government on Friday suspended crossborder trade and movement of passengers through the Attari integrated check-post (ICP) near Amritsar till April 15 as a precautionary measure against the outbreak of coronavirus.
This comes two days after India suspended all visas, barring a few categories such as diplomatic and employment, till April 15 in a bid to contain the spread of the deadly virus or Covid-19.
No foreigner, including Pakistani or Afghan Hindus, will be allowed to enter India through the check-post, officials said. The ban, however, will not affect the Indian travellers returning home. But those coming back via Pakistan from seven worst-hit countries — China, Iran, Italy, Korea, France, Germany and Spain—will be quarantined for at least 15 days. All the returnees will be screened.
As per the order issued by the Union home ministry, the movement of people has been barred through the border from 5:30pm on Friday. Diplomats, officials of the United Nations (UN) and other international organisations, employment and project visas holders are excluded from the ban, says the order.
“We have received a communication from the Centre in this regard. As per the order, trade has been suspended at the ICP. No foreigner will be allowed to enter India through the check-post till April 15,” said ICP in-charge Sukhdev Singh.
According to information, around 100 passengers, including Pakistani and Afghan Hindu pilgrims and the families divided across the Redcliffe Line, are arriving in India via the Attari-Wagah border every day.
The volume of trade at the ICP, which facilitates India trade with Pakistan and Afghanistan, is already low.
In wake of the Pulwama attack in February 2019, the Indian government had revoked the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status given to Pakistan and raised customs duty on every item being imported from Pakistan to 200%.
Following this, import from Pakistan dipped drastically as Indian traders stopped buying goods, except low-priced commodities like rock salt.
Also, Pakistani had shut trade with India after India abrogated Article 370 that granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir. Since October, only a few truckloads of dry fruits come from Afghanistan through the ICP.
Anil Mehra, president of the Federation of Karyana and Dry Fruit Commercial Association said, “Though this will affect our business, we should help the government in containing the virus.”
DIPLOMATS, OFFICIALS OF UN, OTHER INT’L AGENCIES, JOB AND PROJECT VISAS HOLDERS EXCLUDED FROM THE BAN