Trade via Attari-Wagah border now a poll plank in Amritsar

Several candidates, including the BJP's, promising resumption of trade on the route

- SARTHAK CHOUDHURY

In the bustling streets Amritsar, the echoes of foreign policy debates have transcended the power corridors and found resonance in the Lok Sabha elections.

"With one of the highest numbers of people emigrating each year, foreign policy is a subject of significant importance in the state. However, one aspect of foreign policy has been affecting Punjab trade with Pakistan," a wholesaler near the Golden Temple articulates the pinch of this issue.

Since the Pulwama terror attack in 2019, India's trade with Pakistan has steadily declined. India revoked its most-favoured nation (MFN) status for Pakistan and imposed a 200 per cent import duty on Pakistani products.

The situation worsened after Parliament revoked sections of Article 370 and 35(A) of the Constitution.

Pakistan, too, has had its share of indecision regarding the resumption of trade with India. On Pakistan Day, March 23, 2024, its foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, announced that the government was "seriously considering" resuming trade ties with India.

However, just days later, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch clarified that no such plan was under discussion.

The issue of trade ties with Pakistan has become a focal point in electoral campaigning in Punjab.