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| Highest number of guests arrive from PoK | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, June 25, June 25: A highest number of 59 guests arrived here from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) today when only one man and a woman travelled from here to the other side of the Line of Control (LoC).
As many as 42 returnees--21 each from both sides--also travelled in the Karvan-e-Aman bus alongwith the new guests, official sources said this afternoon.
They said 59 guests, including 23 women and 12 children, arrived here from POK to meet their relatives here for the first time after their separation in partition. This was the highest number of guests from POK to visit Kashmir valley after Mumbai terror attack last year.
Sources said 21 residents of this side, who had crossed over to POK to meet their relatives after more than six decades, also returned back to their homes today.
The guests and returnees travelled from Muzaffarabad, the capital of POK, to Chakoti, the last Army installation on the LoC, in a bus and crossed the Aman Setu bridge on foot to enter this side of the border.
Similarly, a woman and a man from here travelled to POK after crossing the bridge, on foot to meet their relatives for the first time after their separation in 1947.
Twenty-one resident of POK, who were here also returned to their home on the other side after staying with their relatives here.
The bus service was started on April 7 2005 to enable divided families to meet each other for the first time after partition. The service was flagged off by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in presence of the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. However, the service was suspended for about a week after the Aman Setu bridge was damaged in devastating earthquake on October 8, 2005.
The service was also affected for some time after 26/11 Mumbai attack and Lahore attack on Sri Lankan cricketers.
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