Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Aug 7: Cross-LoC bus service between Poonch and Rawlakote remained suspended for fifth consecutive week today forcing about 40 citizens of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) to block Poonch-Jammu road seeking their repatriation to PoK as they have been stranded here for more than a month now.
Click here to watch video
Cross-LoC trade will also remain suspended on Poonch-Rawlakote route tomorrow.
Official sources told the Excelsior that 116 citizens of PoK remained stranded in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, where they had come to meet their divided family members and relatives due to suspension of cross-LoC bus service in view of heavy mortar shelling and firing on LoC by Pakistan including Chakan-Da-Bagh from where, the bus crosses over to Rawlakote from Poonch every Monday.
Three civilians from Poonch and Rajouri districts have also been stranded in parts of PoK for over a month now due to suspension of the bus.
Few days back, Jammu and Kashmir and PoK authorities had met at Kaman Post on second cross-LoC point of Uri-Muzaffarabad in Kashmir and decided to transport stranded persons of both sides through this route. However, even though cross-LoC bus service plied between Uri and Muzaffarabad today, 119 civilians remained stranded on either side.
About 40 PoK citizens gathered at Fountain Garden in Poonch and after realizing that the bus service will remain suspended for fifth consecutive week, held protest and blocked Poonch-Jammu road. They strongly condemned the Pakistan army and PoK administration for making no arrangements for their return to their homes as they had been held up on this side without any fault.
Some of the PoK citizens wondered how long they can stay with their relatives or friends as they had come to this side only for a week or 14 days.
“This is ridiculous. Our Government in PoK has done nothing to take us back,’’ they regretted while blocking the road to register their protest. After about half an hour of protest, the civilians returned to the houses of their relatives and friends, where they had been staying for more than a month now.
The PoK citizens also called on Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, Tariq Ahmad Zargar and demanded their early repatriation to PoK. The DC assured the people that authorities were making efforts for their return to houses.
Meanwhile, there was no possibility of resumption of cross-LoC trade on Poonch-Rawlakote route tomorrow.
Trade Facilitation Officer (TFO), Poonch Tanvir Iqbal told the Excelsior that the trade will not take place tomorrow as well.
Cross-LoC trade on Poonch-Rawlakote route remained suspended for four weeks already and tomorrow it would be fifth week of the suspension. Cross-LoC trade takes place every week from Tuesday to Friday.
The National Investigating Agency (NIA) has recommended to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to suspended cross-LoC trade between J&K and PoK on the ground that it was being misused by some elements for terror funding.
In Kashmir, the Karavan-e-Aman weekly bus service across the Line of Control on the Srinagar- Muzaffarabad road resumed today, a week after it was suspended.
The trade on this route is scheduled to resume tomorrow.
“The Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service operated today after an agreement reached with authorities from Pakistan- occupied Kashmir last week,” an official said.
He said 116 passengers boarded the bus bound for Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, this morning.
“It includes 110 residents of PoK who are returning home after spending time with their relatives here while six persons from Jammu and Kashmir are going to meet their relatives on other side of LoC,” he said.
The trade on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road was suspended two weeks ago following recovery of 66.5 kg of heroin and brown sugar valued at over Rs 300 crore from a truck coming from PoK on July 21.
The impasse was resolved at a meeting between officials of two sides held at Kaman Post last week.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
