A consignment of newsprint was sent to Pakistan on Thursday for the first time via the Attari-Wagah land route after Islamabad allowed its import from India in March this year.
A leading paper producer in the Northern region, Khanna Paper Mills, got an order for the supply of newsprint from Pakistan's leading newspapers The Dawn and the Jung Group on a trial basis.
“We have sent 10 tonnes of newsprint to Pakistan via Attari-Wagah land route for The Dawn and the Jung Group,” Khanna Paper Mills' Director, Mr Suneet Kochhar said.
The Pakistan Government, while switching over to the negative list regime with India, has allowed import of 137 items from India through the Attari-Wagah land route.
“Among new items, newsprint, in rolls or sheets figure in the list of 137 items,” said Mr Kochhar.
Upbeat over receiving newsprint orders from Pakistan, Khanna Paper Mills, which clocked a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore in the last fiscal, sees export potential of 2,000-3,000 tonnes of newsprint to the neighbouring country.
Mr Kochhar said procuring newsprint items through the land route from India was a viable option for Pakistan as it would work out to be cheaper.
“A newspaper which costs Rs 28 in Pakistan will get cheaper options by using the newsprint made here (in India) because we are located just 60 km away from them,” he said.