India suspends cross-LoC trade with Pakistan, says routes were being misused to push drugs
To Pakistani observers it appeared that India was eager to provide a vent for the steam building up in Kashmir over the Amarnath land row earlier that year, when there was a blockade of the Valley by the Jammu-based BJP and other Hindutva groups. That in turn led to the demand for opening the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road. Separatists and others called a “Muzaffarabad March” on August 11. Firing on the march left 5 people dead. The worst incident took place at Chalan, near Uri, where a group on way to LoC was fired upon killing senior freedom leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz. After news of the death of Sheikh Aziz spread, angry protesters in Srinagar attacked the neighbouring police station at Karan Nagar and dismantled a CRPF-manned sand-bagged bunker.
Last week, the government cited malpractice and the involvement of drug trafking groups in the trade to suspend the LoC trade. There have been previous suspensions. Once in 2017, trade was suspended for 40 days after drugs were discovered in a truck from Muzaffarabad. The longest suspension came during the post-Burhan Wani killing agitation in the Valley, for three months. There were other brief spells when trade was suspended, mostly at Chakan da Bagh, on account of heavy cross-border shelling.
More details: https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/gk-magazine/amarnath-land-row-chronology-of-events/38658.html)
To Pakistani observers it appeared that India was eager to provide a vent for the steam building up in Kashmir over the Amarnath land row earlier that year, when there was a blockade of the Valley by the Jammu-based BJP and other Hindutva groups. That in turn led to the demand for opening the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road. Separatists and others called a “Muzaffarabad March” on August 11. Firing on the march left 5 people dead. The worst incident took place at Chalan, near Uri, where a group on way to LoC was fired upon killing senior freedom leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz. After news of the death of Sheikh Aziz spread, angry protesters in Srinagar attacked the neighbouring police station at Karan Nagar and dismantled a CRPF-manned sand-bagged bunker.
Last week, the government cited malpractice and the involvement of drug trafking groups in the trade to suspend the LoC trade. There have been previous suspensions. Once in 2017, trade was suspended for 40 days after drugs were discovered in a truck from Muzaffarabad. The longest suspension came during the post-Burhan Wani killing agitation in the Valley, for three months. There were other brief spells when trade was suspended, mostly at Chakan da Bagh, on account of heavy cross-border shelling.
More details: https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/gk-magazine/amarnath-land-row-chronology-of-events/38658.html)
