India Gets Tough To Teach Pakistan A Lesson, These Items May Become Expensive If Trade Ends

The ban on trade may affect some exporters, but in the current scenario, trading with or through a hostile country is not desirable,

he said

This ICP provides employment to 50 villages of this area. Closing of trade will hit the livelihood of the people, including porters, labourers and owners of eateries”.

Dharam Singh, a sugarcane juice seller, said

Though the trade has been halted by Pakistan, we are with our nation first. We will look for alternative routes to import our commodities.”

Dry fruit importer Mukesh Sidhwani said

The Pahalgam tragedy demands significant retribution from the perpetrators. However, one definitely does not understand this trade embargo across the Attari-Wagah axis. We have already put up 200% duty, reciprocated by Pak by banning trade across this post. This is more a penalty to the people of Punjab and thus unfair,

says Gunbir Singh, Past Chairman, CII Punjab

It is Punjab’s bad luck that the trade through Attari-Wagah border has been closed. This will hit the state’s economy and growth. At one point, 10,000 persons worked in the trade through this route. Now, this figure is only 400-500.”

RS Sachdeva, chairman of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry Punjab Chapter, said

We stand with the government and support its decision.”

Expressing similar views, trader Rajdeep Singh Uppal said

Ajay Srivastavafounder

Border closures halt formal trade—but not demand. Pakistan will continue sourcing Indian goods, just at a higher cost and through third countries,

Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) founder Ajay Srivastava said

Islamabad’s move to suspend trade with India will hit the inflation-ravaged Pak citizens only because India imports nothing from Pakistan. Our import from Pak is absolutely zero, whereas Pakistan imported Indian merchandise of about $500 million for the first nine months of the last financial year,

a government official said requesting anonymity

They [UAE and Singapore] will continue to import Indian goods to cater to their markets. Price-conscious, inflation-hit, Pakistanis may anyway find ways to smuggle Indian goods from third countries,

the second official said

Bilateral trade was hit since then and it deteriorated further because of Pakistani support to terror activities in India,

he said