Intra-Kashmir trade: Trucks roll into AJK capital after two week

“Twenty-five trucks from Indian-administered Kashmir reached AJK,” Tata officials say

MUZAFFARABAD:

Dozens of trucks crossed into Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Tuesday as trade between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar resumed following a two-week hiatus.

According to the Travel and Trade Authority (Tata), 28 trucks crossed the Line of Control (LoC) from Chakothi sector. “Twenty-five trucks from Indian-administered Kashmir reached AJK, while three loaded trucks crossed the LoC towards Srinagar,” Tata officials said.

The truck service across the LoC was suspended after the alleged recovery of narcotics in a truck from AJK in Indian-administered Kashmir on February 3. Indian authorities had arrested the driver Inayat Hussain Shah along with the truck, and plainly refused to send him back to AJK.

Traders, truck drivers and family members of the detained driver have been on strike since Friday. They have been campaigning for the release of the driver from the Indian-administered Kashmir. Protestors had threatened to stop the cross-LoC movement of buses and trucks. The strike ended Sunday following assurances from Tata authorities that they would negotiate the driver’s release within coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the head of the Intra Kashmir Trade Union, Khurshid Ahmad Mir, hailed the resumption of the truck service between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar.

Mir called upon both the administrations of AJK and Indian-administered Kashmir to install a full body scanner at Chakothi and Uri trade crossing points in an effort to discourage smuggling across the LoC.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2015.