Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 13: The stay of 35 guests from Pak Occupied Kashmir and 18 visitors from this side to PoK will become illegal from tomorrow onwards as the Pakistan has suspended the weekly bus-service between Poonch (J&K) and Rawalakote (PoK) after mounting tension along the Line of Control in this sector.
Authoritative sources told Excelsior that presently 65 guests from Pak occupied Kashmir are on visit to Rajouri and Poonch areas and they are staying with their relatives here. Out of them 35 visitors will be completing their tenure as they have exhausted the time limit permitted to them for their stay here by the Indian authorities.
As per agreement reached between India and Pakistan for the cross LoC visitors, they are allowed to stay only for 28 days. Under some compelling circumstances/ sickness, in some cases a relaxation of one week or maximum 14 days is given. Same is the case for the visitors from the Indian side.
Now, the Pakistani authorities have announced suspension of Bus service on this route, despite the fact that 65 visitors from PoK are held up on the Indian side. These people are worried here and requesting the Indian authorities to take up the issue with their Pakistani counterparts. Even some PoK guests met the Indian side officer in charge, Abdul Hamid Sheikh (GM, DIC) at Poonch today in this concern.
Mr Sheikh when contacted disclosed that he talked today to his Pakistani counterpart, Aslam Qayani, SDM Hazeera (PoK), but he declared that no bus will operate from Rawalakote side tomorrow as per directions from the top Pakistani authorities. He said the bus-service will remain suspended till some directions come from the higher authorities. The bus operates on every Monday between the two sides via Chakkan-da-Bagh LoC point in Poonch.
Sources disclosed that as per figures available, 58 Indians (J&K residents) are on visit to PoK at present. They have also been held up there with the suspension of bus service. Out of the total, 18 J&K residents’ stay will become illegal in PoK as per travel valid documents lying with them. Their family members on this side were worried about their well being and also contacted the Indian authorities connected with the cross LoC travel.
With no immediate possibility of resumption of bus service on this route, the External Affairs Ministries of both sides may take up the issue afresh again about the fate of the cross LoC visitors.
Two PoK visitors Abdul Sattar of Hazeera and Abdul Rehman of Slamabad village in PoK said that their families are worried and they are getting repeated calls from the family members after the bus-service was suspended and tension mounted on the two sides three days back. They said that they have also approached Indian authorities at Poonch to help them in ensuring their return. They said that they will reach Chakkan-da-Bagh tomorrow with the hope that travel may take place. It is not their fault if any action is taken against them by the authorities here, they added.
The cross trade was also stopped by the Pakistani authorities on Thursday as they did not allow 65 Indian trucks carrying fresh vegetables, garlic, kinnoo and other items. The Indian authorities even requested them twice to open gates as vegetables will go waste and the traders would face losses but there was no positive response from that side. While many trucks have returned but twenty trucks were still parked today near the Chakkan-da- Bagh LoC point.
The trade on this LoC point in Poonch is allowed on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The Pak authorities on Thursday first sent their own trucks and after off loading when their vehicles returned, they did not allow trucks from Indian side and closed the gates, claiming that trade would not take place any more on this point in view of firing along the LoC. This development has taken place after the heavy firing along the LoC in Mendhar and KG sector and killings of two Indian soldiers by Pak troops.
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