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| Crossing LoC: One clearance for J&K’s every two applications | | | Early TimesReport
Srinagar, Aug 28: Despite enthusiastic response from the residents of Jammu and Kashmir to visit their relatives on other side of the Line of Control, the authorities in Pakistan administered Kashmir are not quite forthcoming on granting permissions due to which hundreds of applications are piling up.
Out of the 12,221 cases of the residents of this side forwarded to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), only 6,826 were given clearance to visit their relatives across the border till July this year.
According to an official report, a total of 18,331 applications were received by the Regional Passport Officer (RPO), Srinagar from residents of Kashmir Valley for obtaining permit to travel to PoK by Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Karvaan-e-Aman bus service introduced on April 7, 2005 when the first bus was flagged by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in presence of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Out of the applications received till July 27, 2009, 17,832 have been disposed of and remaining 499 cases are under process for field verification.
The RPO has sent 12,221 cases to the PoK authorities for clearance. However, of these, 6,826 cases were cleared by PoK while 5,395 cases are still pending with them.
The report said only 5,362 residents of this side had visited PoK till July 27, 2009.
According to officials, a person who has any relative in PoK or this side of the border can apply for travel permit.
Application for travel permit can be deposited in all districts of the state. However, after proper verification by the local CID and Police, final clearance report is sent to the RPO from where the cases are sent to the PoK authorities for their clearance.
Only state subjects having relatives in PoK are permitted to apply for permit. In case of Government employees, a departmental No Objection Certificate (NOC) is also required, they said.
As per the agreement between the two countries when the bus service was introduced, a person can travel only when his or her name is cleared by both the countries.
PoK authorities also send cases of their citizens here for clearance.
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