Indo-Pak trade through land route up 44 pc in FY'12

Chandigarh, India, Apr 23 (PTI) Trade between India and Pakistan through the land route soared by 44 per cent in fiscal 2011-12 to Rupees 23.41 billion (about USD 460 million). Though the balance of trade is still in India's favour, the import from Pakistan through land route rose by over 100 per cent to Rs 9.65 billion(about USD 190 million) in 2011-12 ended March 31, 2012 against Rs 4.53 billion (about USD 90 million) in the previous fiscal, an Indian customs department official said. The exports from India to Pakistan grew by 18 per cent to Rs 13.76 billion (about USD 270 million) against Rs 11.70 billion (about USD 230 million) in 2010-11, the official added. In 2009-10 and 2010-11, the bilateral trade between India and Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah land route stood at Rs 11.94 billion (about USD 235 million and Rs 11.70 billion (about USD 230 million), respectively. The volume of trade in terms of trucks also grew manifold with the number of trucks crossing over to Pakistan increasing from 32,000 in 2010-11 to 39,000 trucks in 2011-12. In 2009-10, the number of trucks which exported items to Pakistan was just 17,000. The number of trucks coming to India through land route rose from 3,600 in 2010-11 to a whopping 17,000, the official said. Before Pakistan allowed 137 items to be imported from India through land route last month, India was exporting vegetables, frozen meat, soybean extraction and cotton yarn to the neighbouring country. "Over 70 per cent of total export to Pakistan constitutes soybean extraction and it mainly comes from Madhya Pradesh, while fresh vegetables like tomatoes come from Nasik, Delhi, Kanpur and Rajasthan," he said. India mainly imports dry fruits (from Afghanistan), gypsum and cement. India and Pakistan had started cross border movement of trucks in October 2007 after a gap of sixty years from the Attari Check post at Amritsar in India to Wagah Border in Pakistan with an intention of boosting bilateral trade. The Integrated Check Post (ICP) recently opened by India at Attari-Wagah border is expected to further push up the trade between the two countries through the land route. The ICP, inaugurated by India'sn Home Minister P Chidambaram on April 13, is spread over an area of 118 acres and boasts of dedicated terminals for passengers and cargo, customs and immigration facilities, health and quarantine facility, banks and import and export warehouses. Punjab-based exporters has said they expect the ICP to push up bilateral trade between the two countries through land route by at least 10 times. PTI