SRINAGAR: Six Kashmiri residents crossed over to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) while 37 residents from across the Line of Control (LoC) arrived here to meet their relatives, separated in 1947 due to partition, official sources said here on Tuesday.
They said 23 returnees from both sides also crossed sides at Kaman post, the last Indian military post on this side of the LoC at Uri on Monday. The bus left Srinagar in the morning yesterday with 25 passengers, including six residents of Kashmir for Trade Facilitation Centre (TRC) where more passengers boarded it before crossing over to PoK in the afternoon, they said.
Sources said six fresh Kashmiris, who crossed over to PoK , included five women. They said 21 PoK returnees also crossed side in the weekly cross-LoC bus. They included 12 women who had arrived here in previous buses.
They said 37 PoK residents, including 11 women and three children, arrived at Kaman post yesterday in the afternoon. However, due to verification of documents and checking of language of guests, the bus later left Kaman post in the evening of Monday.
Two residents of Kashmir, who had gone to PoK, also returned here after completing stay with their relatives across the LoC.
The bus service was not affected despite strained relations between two neighbours due to frequent ceasefire violation by Pak troops, particularly in Jammu region and Tangdhar last week.
The bus service, which was introduced on April 7, 2005 to help residents from both sides of the LoC to travel on Travel Permits instead of International Passports, has helped thousands of families, divided in 1947 to meet each other.
However, travel permit to state subjects from both sides are issued only after their names are cleared by the intelligence agencies from both the countries. (AGENCIES)
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