Karvan-e-Aman bus leaves for PoK

SRINAGAR: The Karvan-e-Aman bus, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) left here on Monday morning to cross over to other side of the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector in north Kashmir district of Baramulla, official sources said.
They said the cross-LoC bus left Bemina in Srinagar despite chilly weather conditions due to sub zero temperature coupled with icy cold winds.
The weekly bus has since reached Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC), at Uri where more passengers will board it before leaving for Kaman post, the last Indian military post on this side of the LoC, they said, adding the exact number of people travelling to PoK will be known in the afternoon.
Similarly, he said, the number of passengers travelling from PoK will also be known in the evening when the guests arrive at Kaman post.
The number of PoK guests drops during winter due to intense cold due to below freezing temperature while the number increases in summer when the weather remains pleasant.
Similarly the number of Kashmiris visiting POK drops during summer and increases in winter. However, in the first bus of 2019 only one Kashmiri crossed over to other side while one PoK guest arrived here to meet his relatives separated in 1947 due to partition.
However, six returnees who had travelled in the last bus of 2018 returned to their homes after completing stay in Kashmir and PoK.
The bus service was introduced on April 7, 2005 despite threat by militants who carried out a fidayeen attack on Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) where Kashmiri passengers of first bus were staying two days before leaving for PoK.
Thousands of families,separated in partition, have met each other since the introduction of bus, one of the most Confidence Building Measure (CBM) taken by India and Pakistan to allow state subjects of both the sides to travel on travel permits instead of International passport.
However, any person is allowed to undertake travel only after his or her name is cleared by intelligence agencies from both the countries. (AGENCIES)

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