The J&K government has handed the Salamabad trade centre, situated in Uri, to the Tourism Department, effectively terminating the cross‑LoC trade that had been halted in April 2019. An official of the Tourism Department said the facility will be converted into a tourism hub, with plans to outsource operations to generate employment for local youth.
Uri MLA Dr Sajad Shafi welcomed the decision, noting that the move will put Uri on the tourism map and provide livelihoods for residents who lost income when the trade was suspended. He added that the centre’s existing accommodations and scenic surroundings could attract visitors to the region.
The facility had operated as a duty‑free, cash‑less barter system between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad since 2008, allowing the exchange of 21 mutually agreed goods such as apples, dry fruits, handicrafts and textiles. It ran for 11 years before security concerns, including drug smuggling and the February 2019 Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel, led the government to suspend the trade in April 2019.
Security agencies had repeatedly raised alarms over the misuse of the trade by the Pakistani side, culminating in the arrest of several individuals for drug trafficking and terror links. The suspension followed a broader clampdown on cross‑LoC movement after the Pulwama incident.
The centre will be opened for tourism in the coming months, with guided tours and cultural programmes planned to showcase the region’s heritage. The government has indicated that the initiative will aim to attract both domestic and international visitors, providing a new economic lifeline for the border communities.