SRINAGAR: The weekly Karvan-e-Aman bus, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), was suspended today in view of the Eid-ul-Fitr festival.
There was no peace bus, official sources said.
They said a message was received from PoK that due to Eid festival the bus service will remain suspended today. The passengers, who were scheduled to travel in the cross-LoC bus were informed accordingly, they said, adding that the next bus will be on July 3.
The residents from both sides of Line of Control (LoC) are travelling in the bus to meet their relatives separated due to partition in 1947.
The bus service, a major Confidence Building Measure (CBM) between India and Pakistan after 1999 Kargil War, continued despite unrest in Kashmir in 2016 and tension on the LoC, due to ceasefire violation and subsequent surgical strike by Indian troops in the PoK.
The cross-LoC bus service, started on April 7, 2005 despite opposition by militant organisations, has helped thousands of families, divided in 1947 due to Partition, to meet each other after India and Pakistan agreed to allow travel of state subjects from both sides on travel permits, instead of international passport.
However, the travel permit is issued to the state subject from both sides of the LoC only after their names are cleared by the intelligence agencies from India and Pakistan. However, only state subjects from both sides could avail the cross-LoC facility. (AGENCIES)
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