The Tribune

Amritsar, February 6

Ali Salman Abbasi, Collector Customs, Lahore, today said the Commerce Ministers of India and Pakistan would inaugurate the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari on February 13. Abbasi, who along with his team met his Indian counterparts here, said the trade between the two countries would scale new heights once the ICP was inaugurated. About the extent to which the trade would be benefited, he said, “There are fair chances that the movement of trucks between the two countries would increase to a great extent.”

The Pakistani official said the setting up of a hotline between the two countries on the rail route to check illegal trade practices was in the pipeline. “Hopefully, it will start soon,” he said.

However, the Indian custom officials said they had not yet received any intimation from the government regarding the inauguration of the ICP.

On the other hand, reports in a section of the Pakistan media speak about the ceremonial opening of the dedicated gate for Indo-Pak trade on February 13 and not the ICP, as mentioned by the Pakistan custom officials here.

The reports say a decision in this regard was reached after a delegation of Indian regulators, which visited Pakistan last week, requested the authorities there for the same as the Indian Commerce Minister was slated to visit the neighbouring nation to open Made in India trade show and exhibition at Lahore Expo Centre on February 13.

Spread over 130 acres and built at a cost of Rs 150 crore, the ICP’s foundation stone was laid by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on February 20, 2010, and it was expected to come up in 14 months. However, fund crunch hit the ambitious project midway and it got delayed by 10 months.