First joint trade chamber for divided Kashmir chooses chief

Srinagar -  As part of the cross Line of Control (LoC) initiatives between two parts of Kashmir, a Srinagar-based businessman was Thursday elected to head a business interests body representing both sides.

Mubeen Shah takes over as the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JK-JCCI).

"The process of choosing the new president of Jammu and Kashmir Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JK-JCCI) was completed under subsection (G) of section 4 of Istanbul Agreement of November 2011 signed by 17 principal stakeholders representing chambers and federations from both sides of LOC," a statement here said.

The statement said the election was conducted at Srinagar by Indus Research Foundation, a regional partner of the Conciliation Resources, London, which has been facilitating the formation of a joint chamber as part of its six major cross-LOC cooperation initiatives in consultation with governments and civil society actors.

The JK-JCCI comprised 44 members with 22 drawn from Jammu and Kashmir (11 each from Kashmir and Jammu) and 22 from the Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

"The next step in making the JK-JCCI a more formal institution is to constitute a committee of six members to draft constitution for this body and get it passed by the entire body of 44 members before April 30, 2012," the statement added.

In a bid to enhance cross-LOC cooperation in Jammu and Kashmir, 10 major business organisations, including the heads of four major chambers and federations of industries from both sides of divided Kashmir, had decided to form a formal, inclusive and properly elected apex joint chamber in a meeting at Istanbul Nov 28, 2011.

New Delhi and Islamabad had allowed first cross-LoC contact in 2005 through the launch of a bus service between Srinagar, on Indian side, and Muzaffarabad, on Pakistani side, of Jammu and Kashmir. Cross-LoC trade was launched in October 2008 and further tourism and cultural exchanges were agreed upon in July 2011.

Observers here feel steps like the creation of a joint trade and commerce body of representative businessmen from both sides of divided Kashmir would address the problems faced by the cross LOC traders and also help melt down the psychological distances between the people living on the two sides of the LOC.