Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 22: As many as nine residents of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) arrived here while only one Kashmiri crossed over to other side of the Line of Control (LoC) in Karvan-e-Aman bus, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad.
Meanwhile, 23 returnees also crossed the sides at Kaman post, the last Indian military post on this side of the LoC in Uri sector.
Official sources here this evening said that nine PoK residents, including three women and four children, arrived at Kaman post after crossing Aman Setu, peace bridge, on foot to meet their relatives, separated in 1947 due to partition.
They said eight Kashmiris, who had gone to PoK, returned to Srinagar after completing stay there. They included a woman and a child.
Meanwhile, only one Kashmiri crossed to the other side of the LoC to meet their relatives.
Sources said 15 PoK residents, including three women and four children, who had come to Srinagar in previous bus, also returned to their homes, they added. "The bus had left Srinagar at 0400 hrs this morning to avoid any protests and stone pelting," they said.
Due to unrest in the Kashmir valley, the bus service is operating from here to LoC Uri early in the morning while those who are travelling from PoK are being brought here late in the night.
The bus service was suspended on July 4 in view of the Eid-ul-Fitr. However, due to unrest after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani and two other militants in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir on July 8, the bus service could not operate on July 11 and July 18.
The bus service, introduced on April 7, 2005, has helped thousands of families divided in 1947, to meet each other through Srinagar-Muzaffar road after India and Pakistan agreed to allow travel of state subjects from both sides on Travel Permits instead of International passport despite opposition by militant organizations. |
