ISLAMABAD:The government of Pakistan has imposed ban on the export of onions through land route via Wagha border to India in order to check the commodity’s price in the country, which has increased manifold.“The Ministry of Commerce has imposed ban on the export of onion through land route i.e Wagha border, while the export of the commodity would continue through sea route,” said an official of the Ministry.He further said that despite allowing export through sea routes, the government would keep check on the commodity’s export through this route so that the commodity’s shortfall does not occur in the country, he added.It is worth mentioning here that the commodity prices had surged to the higher level of Rs 90 per kg in the country due to its massive export to India, which created shortage in the country. Besides, its export to India, the commodity price surged because its crop was destroyed on thousands of acres due to the devastating floods in the country in July and August last year.
According to the unofficial reports, more than 50,000 tons of the commodity had been exported to India despite less yield of the crop this season.The market sources told The Nation that the country would have to face severe shortage of the commodity if the government did not impose ban on its export. However, they criticised the government for delay in imposing the ban on its export, as this step should have been taken much earlier.
OUR MONITORING DESK adds: Dubbing Pakistan’s decision to ban onion exports across the Wagah border as “shocking”, India Thursday said the issue has been taken up with the concerned authorities in Islamabad, ZEEBIZ.COM reported.“It is shocking and unfortunate that Pakistan has banned onion exports to India via land route. We have urged them that the contracted quantities which were to come via the land route should be released,” Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said here. He said the government is also exploring “all the opportunities – Nation
