Early Times Report
srinagar, Oct 24: The weekly cross-Line of Control (LoC) Karvan-e-Aman bus, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) , was suspended today due to some political activities across the border.
The bus will not operate owing to “Youm-e-Tahsees” in PoK, official sources told UNI. They said all the passengers scheduled to travel in the peace bus have been informed about the suspension after Pakistan officials communicated the same. Barring July 11 and 18, the bus service continued despite curfew, restrictions and strike for the past 108 days in the Kashmir Valley, where 86 people were killed and over 9,000 others injured in security force and police action, since July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani and two other militants were killed in an encounter in Anantnag, evoking massive protest. The bus service on these days was suspended, owing to strike by the separatists for security reasons, while on July 4 and September 12, in view of Eid festivals. However, the weekly bus service was not affected even after fidayeen attacked on Army Brigade Headquarters at Uri on September 18, which left 19 soldiers dead and over 20 others wounded. Four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants, believed to be foreigners, were also killed in the encounter. The fidayeen attack was followed by surgical attack by Indian troops in PoK.
However, Pakistan has denied any such strike and claimed that two of their soldiers were killed in cross border shelling.
During the unrest, the bus from Srinagar to Kaman Post, the last Indian military post on this side of the LoC, is now leaving Srinagar early in the morning to avoid any violence on way in view of strike.
Similarly, people coming from PoK have to wait at Uri before starting journey towards their respective destinations late in the night to avoid stone pelting. The bus service, major Confidence Building Measure (CBM) introduced on April 7, 2005, has helped thousands of families divided due to Partition in 1947 to meet each other after India and Pakistan agreed to allow travel of state subjects from both sides on travel permits, instead of international passport.
However, people are allowed to travel only after their names are cleared from intelligence agencies from both the sides. |
