India has closed the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari in Amritsar, Punjab, following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
The decision was made by India's Cabinet Committee on Security and was announced by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on April 23. India has also suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.
What Is The Attari Check Post?
The Attari ICP is strategically positioned as a critical checkpoint for cross-border trade. It is the only permissible land route for trade between India and Pakistan. The facility is equipped with customs and immigration facilities, enabling the processing of both passengers and cargo.
Impact On Pakistan
The closure of the Attari border, the only permitted land route for trade between India and Pakistan, is expected to have significant economic repercussions for Pakistan. The ICP at Attari has historically facilitated trade worth approximately Rs 3,886.53 crore, with 6,871 cargo movements and 71,563 passenger crossings in the 2023-24 period, as per a Times Of India report.
Trade Disruptions
Key imports from Pakistan to India through the Attari border include dry fruits, gypsum, cement, glass, rock salt and various herbs.
The closure is anticipated to disrupt the movement of these goods, particularly affecting small traders and manufacturers who rely on this cross-border exchange.
Afghan imports into India and vice versa, many of which pass through Pakistan via this route, may also face logistical challenges.
Diplomatic Strain
In response to the Pahalgam attack, India has expelled Pakistani diplomats, withdrawn its military advisors from Islamabad, and ordered all Pakistani nationals with SAARC visas to leave the country within 48 hours.
Misri said that both Indian and Pakistani high commissions would be reduced to 30 staff members by May 1, down from the current 55.
Pakistani nationals will also no longer be allowed to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES), and any Pakistani nationals currently in India on an SVES visa must leave by Friday.
Mr Misri also declared the defence, military, naval, and air advisors at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi as "persona non grata," giving them one week to exit the country.
