Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service

Entry permit applications of divided families who want to cross LoC to be cleared

MUZAFFARABAD:

Pakistani and Indian officials agreed on Tuesday to clear within three months the entry permit applications of the divided families who want to cross the Line of Control (LoC) through the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service.

Both the officials of the Travel and Trade Authority of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Brigadier (retd) Imtiaz Wain and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla of India administered Kashmir Farooq Ahmad met at the Chakothi crossing point of the LoC and discussed the issues related to the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus and truck service.

It was decided in the meeting that both the officials will meet once in a month at the Chakothi crossing point, while traders of the two sides would also be facilitated to share the table to discuss the trade-related issues. Their maiden meeting will be held on January 15.

Farooq Ahmad promised the AJK authorities that all the applications of the divided families who want to visit Kashmir would be finalised within 90 days. The officials of the both sides agreed that the weekly Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service flag meeting will start at 10:30am while the passengers will cross the LoC at 12:50am (PST).  Loaded trucks will move at 10am and empty trucks will go back to their sides at 5:00pm.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2014.