Amritsar, 1 8 April () Punjab BJP spokesperson Professor Sarchand Singh Khaila, while commenting on the sit-in given by Akali Dal president Simarjit Singh Mann on the Attari border demanding the restoration of trade with Pakistan, said that it would have been better if Mann had staged a sit-in to prevent Pakistan from sending narcotics, deadly weapons and terrorists to Punjab. The people of Punjab are upset because of the drugs and weapons being sent to Punjab by Pakistan, but Mr. Mann is silently watching everything and is tolerating everything because of his love for Pakistan. He never had the courage to speak against Pakistan on these issues.
Professor Sarchand Singh said that we want trade with the neighboring country through the Attari border, for which India has installed basic facilities like scanners, cargo handling and cranes for trade at the ICP spread over 120 acres at the Attari land port. But India wants normal neighborly relations with Pakistan in an environment free from terrorism and violence.
He said that we give a message of love by lighting candles on the border, but on the other hand, Pakistan, which has become the center of global terrorism, not only keeps an evil eye on us, but is destabilizing our country by sending drugs, weapons and terrorists through drones and other means and is destroying the law and order situation in Punjab by constantly attacking our citizens and soldiers. It is Pakistan that is occupying a large part of Kashmir, an integral part of India, and Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir is inciting Kashmiris against India by calling Kashmir the ‘bloodline of Pakistan’. In such a situation, what can we do with that country?
India has adopted a policy of zero tolerance towards narcotics and terrorism. There is no question of India inciting violence in the country, making any compromise with Pakistan at the cost of the country’s unity, integrity and national security.
Talking about trade with Pakistan, he said that it is not India that has stopped trade, rather Pakistan stopped trade with India in August 2019 due to India’s removal of Article 370 from Kashmir. Earlier, on February 14, 2019, India withdrew the Most Favored Nation status from Pakistan when terrorists sent by Pakistan attacked a convoy of our paramilitary forces in Pulwama, Kashmir, killing 40 soldiers. Of course, India responded to this attack by entering Pakistan and destroying terrorist camps. He said that our security agencies are finding it difficult to deal with the hybrid terrorism launched by Pakistan. Apart from Pulwama attack Mohali intelligence department and Sarhali police station were attacked with RPG by elements sent by Pakistan and even now many police stations and our people are being attacked with bombs and target killing.
He said that Pakistan has been sending drugs and arms through IPC Atari on the pretext of trade. In 2023, a large quantity of heroin was recovered from a consignment of brooms in trucks coming from Pakistan through IPC Attari. Earlier in April 2022, 102 kg of heroin hidden in wooden boxes under the guise of liquor was seized from a truck coming from Pakistan. In 2019, 532 kg of heroin was seized from salt packets.
He said that instead of doing business with debt-ridden Pakistan, we should give priority to doing business with Gulf countries. Therefore, we should use transit roads, air cargo and sea routes. According to the World Bank, Atari ICP has an annual business potential of 37 billion dollars, but only 2 billion dollars of business was recorded from here till 2018, which indicates that there is no particular enthusiasm among traders.