Open Attari-Wagah trade route, says SAD Delhi unit

New Delhi, February 2

The chief of the Delhi unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Paramjit Singh Sarna, has urged the Central Government to consider reopening the land trade route with Pakistan. The Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari-Wagah land crossing (west of Amritsar) was established in 2012.

However, trade through this route has been suspended since the terror attack at Pulwama in February 2019. Since its inception in 2012, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan have annually engaged in over Rs 8,000 crore worth of business via the ICP.

Given Amritsar’s strategic location, with three international gateways — road, rail, and air — all well-connected, it has the potential for trade through roads connecting Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and extending to Central Asian countries. Two under-construction dedicated freight corridors originating from Kolkata and Mumbai converge at Ludhiana.

The ICP’s primary aim was to connect India with Iran, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and beyond, according to Sarna. He emphasised, “If all these links — air, road, and rail — are exploited, it could help the economy, not only for Punjab but for the entire country.”

Sarna suggested that bilateral trade through the Hussainiwala border, located 11 km west of Ferozepur, should also be reopened.