Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 14: Despite uneasy calm and tension along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Kashmir where from war like tension between two countries started last week with the ceasefire violation by Pakistan and killing of a Pakistani soldier in a retaliatory fire by Indian Army, the trans-LoC trade and bus service between the two parts of the divided State continued as usual.
The Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Peace Bus (Karvan-e-Aman) rolled today as usual despite heightened tension along the LoC after Pakistani troops killed two Army personnel in Mendhar sector of Jammu last week. However, no fresh Pakistani national travelled to Srinagar from Muzaffarabad in the bus today in the wake of tension between the two countries. Twenty two passengers who arrived in Salamabad from Muzzafarabad today were all Indian nationals. However, 4 Indian nationals crossed to PoK while 9 Pakistani citizens also left home in the bus that crossed the LoC at Aman Setu this afternoon.
According to the trade figures of the week since the LoC tension started, 201 trucks from Salamabad, Uri crossed to Chakoti, Muzaffarabad while 128 trucks carrying goods from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir arrived in Salamabad in Uri.
The trucks from Kashmir mostly carried grapes, tomatoes, bananas and Kashmiri embroidery suits while those that arrived from PoK carried apples, oranges and dry fruits.
Pakistan unilaterally stopped trade through Chakan-Da-Bagh and Rawalakote and the bus service in Poonch following LoC tension after the ceasefire violations and killing of two Indian Army jawans in Mendar sector. But in Hajipeer sector of Uri where from the LoC tension started with the killing of a Pakistani solider in retaliatory Indian Army firing on January 6, the trade is as usual.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Srinagar based 15 Corps, Lt General Om Prakash, said here that despite tension along the LoC, the trade and bus service through Aman Setu is usual.
The General said that there is tension along the LoC in Kashmir after recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan. “Because adversary is trying to escalate the situation un-necessarily we are assessing his designs”, he said.
The GOC said that Army is ready to take on any challenge. “We are a disciplined Army and we are ready to take on any challenge”, he said.
The General said that Army takes all situations seriously. On Tehreq-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), he said it is like any other militant organization like LeT which is actively engaged here. “For us there is no problem, we have been dealing such organizations here”, he added.
The Army commander said: “We are fully competent and fully prepared on the LoC and we will whole heartedly try to minimise the infiltration and carry out the intelligence based operation in the hinterland.”
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