Bridging the gap: Trucks laden with apples and handicrafts became unlikely bearers of peace on Oct. 21 when an ancient trade route between India and Pakistan reopened after being closed 61 years ago, when the two countries broke free of the British Empire. Many hope the opening of the trade route, in the bitterly disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, will boost the economy on both sides of the “Line of Control” that divides the territory. Here, a truck from Pakistan-administered Kashmir crosses the newly reconstructed Aman Setu, or Peace Bridge, that leads into India-administered Kashmir.

Signing off: Pakistani students gesture and shout slogans while watching trucks haul goods across the bridge at the Line of Control on Oct. 21. The decision to open the all-weather road—in a region that is often snowed in during the winter—is a confidence-building measure that came about from a September meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and new Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. It also meets the demands of merchants in India-administered Kashmir, who earlier this year had called for open trade.

No longer boxed in: The opening of the trade route between Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, and Muzaffarabad, on the Pakistani side, is expected to boost revenues for Jammu and Kashmir’s handicrafts industry, which is the state’s highest earner of foreign currency with $300 million worth of art exported each year. Top, Mohammed Akbar pounds scrap paper into pulp for papier-mâché handicrafts at a workshop in Srinagar on Oct. 17. Papier-mâché is a distinctive art form of Kashmir, and sturdy, delicately painted, varnish-coated boxes made from scrap paper, such as the one at bottom, can range in size from pillboxes to jewelry boxes to small chests.

Hammering out a solution: The recent opening of the trade route is emblematic of efforts to resolve the Kashmir dispute by creating “soft borders” that permit goods and people to cross. Here, Kashmiri coppersmiths use hammers and nails to pound designs onto copper bowls at a workshop in Srinagar on Oct. 17. The intricate floral, geometric, and calligraphic patterns that are embossed on copper bowls, plates, trays, and teapots are known as naqashi.

Elephant in the room: Papier-mâché elephants wait to be purchased at a local shop in Srinagar on Oct. 16. Although the reopening of the 106-mile (171-km) trade road is a breakthrough for India and Pakistan, there’s still reason for caution. The road will be open just two days a week; only 21 approved items will be allowed through; and non-traders will not be permitted to pass. Plus, the enmity still runs high. When the Indian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, was bombed in July, India placed part of the blame on Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence agency, worsening relations between the two countries.

Knock on wood: Bashir Dijoo, who has transformed wood into art for 40 years, creates a carving at his shop, Dijoo Arts Emporium, on Dal Lake in Srinagar on
Oct. 16. India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir and came to the brink of a third in 2002. Although trade across the Line of Control—which without restrictions has the potential to reach $6 billion annually—could improve relations, no one’s out of the woods just yet.

Rolling out the welcome rug: Lal Layle, above, weaves a silk rug at her home on Dal Lake in Srinagar on Oct. 17. Below, a merchant stocks rugs on Jan. 14, 2002, in Srinagar. Kashmiri carpets are world famous, but the rug industry hasn’t been faring well in recent times, in part because artisans have been turning to more lucrative professions and because the separatist insurgency has scared away tourists. Trade across the Line of Control, however, could breathe new life into the industry. A Pakistani trade delegation visited earlier this month and showed “keen interest” in handicrafts. Currently, Jammu and Kashmir annually exports $142 million in carpets.

Santa’s workshop: Syed Shabird paints a Santa Claus ornament, along with other Christmas tree ornaments, for European buyers on Oct. 16 in Srinagar. There are 350,000 artisans and 100,000 handicraft traders in Jammu and Kashmir, the only Indian state with a Muslim-majority population.

A stone’s throw away: The trade route may have opened, but many in Jammu and Kashmir want an even more momentous change: independence from India. Here, Kashmiri men throw rocks at the Indian military in Srinagar on Oct. 12. In the past few months, the city has experienced the largest pro-independence demonstrations since the armed separatist insurgency began in 1989. Tourists have deserted the area, with hotel occupancy plummeting from 100 percent in May to virtually zero in September.

A long drive: In addition to the recent unrest, there’s another reason not to get too optimistic about the opened trade route. In 2005, with much fanfare, India and Pakistan inaugurated a “peace bus” service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, as modeled by this miniature. Since then, the service seems to have run out of gas: Only 9,000 passengers have taken advantage of it due to a bewildering bureaucracy of security checks and paperwork. Will the recently opened trade route meet a similar fate? For Kashmir’s artisans and traders, it’s an uncertain road ahead.