📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Mike Young
International
India-Pakistan LoC Trade Halted, Tourism to Start at New Cross-Border Facility
✍️ NDTV
🗓 19 Sep 2026, 04:16 AM
👁 12
The cross‑LoC trade corridor has been closed, and authorities are preparing to open the site for limited tourism under a new arrangement.
New Delhi and Islamabad have agreed to end the commercial exchanges that took place at the cross‑Line of Control (LoC) facility earlier this year. Officials from both sides confirmed that the trade corridor will cease operations, marking the conclusion of the first phase of the bilateral arrangement.
In its place, a tourism pilot is set to launch, allowing a limited number of visitors to cross the LoC for cultural and religious trips. The move is intended to boost people‑to‑people contact while maintaining security protocols agreed upon by the two governments.
Authorities said the transition will be carried out smoothly, with necessary infrastructure upgrades at the crossing point to accommodate tourists. The initiative is being closely monitored as a confidence‑building measure between the neighbours.
The shift from trade to tourism reflects a broader strategy to deepen bilateral ties through soft‑power channels, even as broader political dialogues continue.
No further details on the exact schedule or the number of tourists have been released, but both ministries have indicated that the new phase will be operational in the coming weeks.
In its place, a tourism pilot is set to launch, allowing a limited number of visitors to cross the LoC for cultural and religious trips. The move is intended to boost people‑to‑people contact while maintaining security protocols agreed upon by the two governments.
Authorities said the transition will be carried out smoothly, with necessary infrastructure upgrades at the crossing point to accommodate tourists. The initiative is being closely monitored as a confidence‑building measure between the neighbours.
The shift from trade to tourism reflects a broader strategy to deepen bilateral ties through soft‑power channels, even as broader political dialogues continue.
No further details on the exact schedule or the number of tourists have been released, but both ministries have indicated that the new phase will be operational in the coming weeks.