Pak assures completion of ICP in six months

Pakistan Customs officials have assured that the Integrated Check Post (ICP) on their side of the Wagah-Attari border will be completed within six months to facilitate improved trade between the two countries.

A five-member Pakistan Customs delegation held talks with their Indian counterparts here today on various issues related to bilateral land and railway border customs regulations.

After the meeting, Junaid Akram, Collector of Customs, Lahore,said: "The work at the ICP on the Pakistani side has already been undertaken and is on going on at a very good speed, and, we hope it will be completed within the next six months."

India opened a fully operated ICP at Attari in April 2012 to improve prospects for bilateral trade. Pakistan is yet to come up with an at par infrastructure.

Commenting on the increasing incidents of drug smuggling, Akram said Indian and Pakistani customs officials have been working jointly to curb links to international smugglers.

He said recently two heroin drug smugglers were taken into custody in Pakistan on information provided by Indian Customs.

Indian Customs Commissioner Ravi Bhagat said he was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, and added that he was hopeful about bilateral trade between the two countries improving.

He said Pakistan has assured that they would ready to receive about 450 trucks daily from the Indian side.

It is true that infrastructure has to improve there, he added.