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the notification date, just for the reason
that it was originated from Pakistan.
Union government should have given
leniency on the import cargo that was
already concluded/ payment effected/
shipped out from Pakistan port etc. on
the date of the notification and there
shall be a provision to allow them to
enjoy the duty exemption prevailed at
least, at the time of the physical loading
of the cargo from Pakistan port.
As regards transaction, the export-
ers rue that the full payment has been
remitted well in advance, neither Paki-
stan nor Indian Government is losing
anything but only the Indian citizens,
as the money is already sent to the
seller and the Indian exporters now

Due to the wrong/
incomplete wordings
in the notification,
the hapless Indian
importers whose
cargoes were already
en-route to India by
Trade barriers sea and land route

Research and Information System (iii) Need to harmonize the from Pakistan at the
developing Countries (an au- rules of standardiza- time are the losers
tonomous research institute set tion to facilitate trade of
with support from GOI) roped in agri-commodities.
Centre for Research in Rural and (iv) Bias among the officials burdened with the liability of 200 per
Industrial Development (CRRID), of our side in the form of cent customs duty. Since the full pay-
Chandigarh to conduct a feasibility extra scrutiny of trade ment has been already remitted and
study on infrastructure required consignments to check the shipment has already been loaded on
for Indo-Pak trade (2010). smuggling. the vessel and sailed out from Pakistan
The study investigated the barri- (v) The areas on both sides of the Port when the notification was issued,
ers to trade on both sides of border border are underdeveloped. it does not dilute the Union Govern-
and the major findings were: Trade can unleash employ- ment’s intention to restrict the import
ment avenues and improve from Pakistan to India with effect from
(i) Barriers to policy like limited the lives of inhabitants in 16.2.2019.
numbers of goods traded border area. “We, as a patriotic Indian, have no
against the much greater (vi) Besides Attari-Wagha, other intention to make any deal with the Pa-
potential. points like Ferozpur-Hus- kistan supplier on or after 16.2.2019 and
(ii) Deployment of improved sainiwala, Gurdaspur-Dera there is no appeal for the same. Return-
technology to facilitate the Baba Nanak should also be ing the cargo which is already en route
trade with the help of trucks. opened. to Kochi back to Pakistan will benefit
only Pakistan, as they have already re-
ceived the payment and they will get

Tehelka / 30 april 2019 49 www.Tehelka.com