Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 19 : The Karvan-e-Aman bus, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) resumed today after remaining suspended last week in view account of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, birthday of Prophet Muhammad.
The peace bus left here this morning for Kaman post, the last Indian military post on this side of the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector, official sources told UNI.
There were seven passengers in the bus when it left here, they said, adding that the exact number of passenger crossing over to PoK will be known only when more travellers will join at Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC) at Salamabad, Uri. The bus could not operate last week in view of Eid-e-Milad.
They said those, who were scheduled to travel in the bus last week have been accommodated in the bus today. However, despite unrest since July 9 in the Kashmir valley, the bus ran continued. On July 11 and 18, the bus could not operate for security reasons following strike by the separatists while on July 4 and September 12, it did not run in the wake of Eid festivals. The weekly bus service was not affected even after the Fidayeen attack on Army Brigade Headquarters at Uri on September 18, which left 19 soldiers dead and over 20 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 across the LoC. On October 17, the peace bus could not operate due to tense situation on the LoC while on October 24, it was suspended due to some political activity in PoK.
The bus service has helped thousands of families separated 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 passports. |
