Cross border trade suspended at LoC after alleged drug haul

Pakistan today impounded 50 Indian trucks and suspended trading activities along the LoC, a day after 22 trucks coming from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were seized by India over alleged recovery of drugs.
A PoK-based Trade and Travel Authority declined to return 50 trucks coming from India through Kashmir, in response to the seizure of 22 trucks by India yesterday.
A senior PoK official confirmed the intra-Kashmir trade embargo and claimed that under the agreement between the two countries, India is obliged to return the trucks carrying trading merchandise.
He further said that unless India provide evidence with regards to the drug smuggling allegation and return the 22 seized trucks, the 50 trucks held by them will not be permitted to return.

Indian security officials in Uri yesterday claimed to recover nearly 200 packets of suspected contraband substance from an orange-ladden truck coming from Pakistan.
Cross border trade through the Chakothi sector along the LoC was suspended following the seizure of trucks by India.
A similar standoff had occurred in January last year after Indian authorities had seized drugs worth nearly Rs 100 crore from a truck coming from PoK, which led to a brief suspension of cross border trading activities.
In August 2013, police in India had recovered cocaine worth Rs 10 crore from a truck, plying on Srinagar- Muzaffarabad route, at Sheeri in Uri sector.