SRINAGAR, Sept 20: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday urged Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take up with the Centre the issue of converting the Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre near the Line of Control in Uri into a tourism facility.
In a post on X, Mehbooba said the centre was originally established to facilitate contact between divided families and promote cross-LoC trade, and argued that its original purpose should be restored.
She also referred to the history of the facility and the deaths of PDP workers during the Muzaffarabad Chalo rally, saying the centre was established after significant sacrifices.
Mehbooba further called for reopening routes connecting Kashmir with the outside world, saying the region needed greater connectivity.
The Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre was established in 2008 after India and Pakistan agreed to introduce a barter-based trade mechanism between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Cross-LoC trade was suspended by the Centre in April 2019 after authorities alleged that the route was being used for activities including terror financing, smuggling of weapons and narcotics, and circulation of counterfeit currency.
Mehbooba's latest appeal comes amid discussions over the future use of the Salamabad facility and its potential role in tourism.
