The Central Government on April 24 released a strong evidence in favour of suspension of cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) on both Poonch-Rawlakote and Uri-Muzaffarabad routes by naming 10 Kashmiri militants of different outfits, who had floated firms and, were carrying out the trade and routing funds for terrorism and other undesirable activities in the Valley, reports Daily Excelsior. A document released by the Central Government, has named 10 militants, all of whom were Kashmiri residents but had crossed over to Pakistan and PoK for arms training. They had settled there over a period of time and later floated firms, reportedly in connivance with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to get involved in cross-LoC trade for smuggling weapons, fake currency and narcotics to the Valley and fund the militancy.
The Government released names of 10 militants in less than a week after it suspended the cross-LoC trade on Chakan-Da-Bagh route in Poonch district of Jammu and Salamabad route in Baramulla district of Kashmir on April 18. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) had confirmed that the trade had virtually been taken over by the militant outfits especially Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM). “Investigations have revealed that 10 militants identified by the Government had opened trading firms in Pakistan and were active in cross-LoC trade,’’ sources said, adding that these militants were either based in Islamabad and Rawalpindi in Pakistan or Muzaffarabad in PoK and were carrying out the cross-LoC trade with active involvement of Pakistan and PoK Governments, concerned authorities and Pakistan’s ISI. They (the militants) were operating businesses ranging from almonds, dry dates, and dry fruits to mangoes as part of the modus operandi to send money to fuel unrest in Jammu and Kashmir on behalf of the ISI, sources said.