Fayaz Bukhari/Gopal Sharma
SRINAGAR/ JAMMU, Jan 20: Pakistan today suspended the trans-Line of Control (LoC) Karvan-e-Aman bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad and another service between Poonch and Rawlakot (PoK) to press for the release of a Pakistani driver, who was arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police after narcotics worth around Rs 114 crore was recovered from his truck at Uri in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district last week.
Regional Passport Officer, Firdous Iqbal said, “We were informed by PoK authorities that the bus service shall remain suspended today. However, no reason was given by them.”
The historic bus service between Srinagar-Muzaffarabad was started in April 2005 and is considered to be a major Jammu and Kashmir centric Confidence Building Measure between India and Pakistan.
The bus service survived last year’s worst border crisis between India and Pakistan when the troops of the two countries exchanged firing along the LoC for most part of 2013.
The suspension of the bus service seems to be pressure tactics by Pakistan to press for the release of driver Mohammad Shafiq Awan, son of Abdul Aziz Awan of Shard, Muzaffarabad, PoK from whose truck 114 kilogramme narcotics was recovered last week. The narcotics has been sent to laboratory testing but authorities feel that it is brown sugar whose value in international market is Rs 114 crore.
Pakistani authorities detained 27 trucks and drivers of these vehicles at Chakoti across the LoC since Friday following recovery of the narcotics from a PoK truck and arrest of the driver by J&K Police. Forty eight PoK drivers and their trucks are also stranded at Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre in Uri since the stand-off began last week and Pakistan refused to take back these trucks. Tomorrow is the first LoC trading day since Friday’s standoff and it is unlikely that the trade on Srinagar- Muzaffarabad route will commence tomorrow in view of the ongoing row.
Meanwhile, the PoK authorities today claimed diplomatic immunity for the driver who was arrested after recovery of huge haul of brown sugar from his vehicle. The claim has been made by PoK’s Director General of Trade, a retired Army officer during a meeting with the State Government officers for breaking the deadlock. But no much progress could be achieved in this direction.
The cross LoC trade is conducted from Tuesday to Friday every week while the weekly bus service runs every Monday across both the LoC points near Uri and Poonch.
At Chakkan-da-Bagh LoC point in district Poonch, the Pakistani authorities did not open the gates today creating high drama. A weekly bus carrying 29 passengers including 26 PoK returnees, started from Poonch city at around 10.30 am today. The passengers besides Immigration and Security staff kept waiting there for more than two and half hours but the Pakistani authorities did not open the gate.
The bus then returned to Poonch and made yet another attempt after an hour after officers took up the matter with the authorities on that side. But it was conveyed by one of the security officers that there were no orders from the top to open the gate today for any trans LoC activity. The passengers later moved to meet the Deputy Commissioner Poonch Sajjad Ahmed Khan, seeking extension in their permit.
Deputy Commissioner, Poonch when contacted said today total 29 passengers were dispatched to Chakkan-da- Bagh in a weekly bus. But unfortunately, nobody from Pakistani side reported to the cross-LoC point. They even did not open the gates. Majority of 26 passengers in the Rawlakote bound bus were PoK residents. TFO Jagdish Lal was accompanying the passengers. As the passengers and Indian staff kept waiting for long, TFO asked them to come back at around 2 pm.
Mr Khan said the stay of most of the PoK residents is now illegal here. They have been forced to be stranded here by the Pakistan authorities. They have requested to grant extension in their stay here. The matter has been taken up with the External Affairs Ministry. If they agreed, the stay for at least one week would be granted to them as they have been held up here without their any fault.
When asked whether trade is going to take place tomorrow via Chakkan-da-Bagh LoC point, the DC said from the circumstances emerging and the developments at Uri, it seems that no trade would take place tomorrow. However, the TFO and other staff has been asked to remain ready for any further development or directions from the top, Mr Khan maintained.
Meanwhile, the police is investigating the case of recovery of the major narcotics consignment from PoK driver. Police have identified the trader as Tariq Sheikh for whom the Almond consignment was booked from PoK by Al-Fajar Trading Company but they are looking for the person for whom the narcotics were to be delivered.
The J&K Government and PoK authorities have approached to the respective Central Governments’ for resolving the crisis. Sources said that the Home Ministry will take a call and then the Foreign ministries of the two countries will discuss the issue and arrive at a conclusion to end the standoff.
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