Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 22: The External Affairs Ministries of India and Pakistan would take a decision on restoration of the biggest Confidence Building Measure (CBM)-the weekly cross-LoC bus service and trade on Poonch-Rawlakote route, which was suspended by Pakistan on January 10 after LoC tensions in the wake of brutal killing of two Indian Army soldiers.
In the meantime, the External Affairs Ministry has extended by a week the illegal stay of about 35 citizens of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), who had mostly come to meet their divided family members and relatives via weekly Poonch-Rawlakote bus but couldn’t return due to suspension of the bus service.
Though a total of 65 PoK citizens and 58 civilians from this side were held up in PoK due to suspension of the bus, 35 PoK citizens had completed their extended stay of 42 days.
The Foreign Ministry has decided to extend the stay of all overstaying civilians of PoK when they complete 42 days till the bus service was resumed, official sources told the Excelsior saying that Pakistan Foreign Ministry has also followed the similar steps and extended stay of civilians from this part of divided State, whose 42 days limit of the stay had exceeded.
Sources said the Government had referred the matter of overstay of PoK citizens on this side due to suspension of bus service to the Foreign Ministry, which conveyed its decision to the Government yesterday granting one week extension to all overstaying foreign tourists.
“Further extension would be granted if the bus remained suspended for more period”, they added.
The Government has kept the option of sending the stranded PoK citizens back home either through Uri-Muzaffarabad route in Kashmir or Wagah border in Amritsar district of Punjab if Chakan-Da-Bagh (Poonch-Rawlakote) route remained closed for a longer period.
Sources said the Foreign Ministries of the two countries would now take any decision on resumption of cross-LoC bus and trade.
“The issue is now in the hands of External Affairs Ministries of the two countries as the Union Governments of India and Pakistan monitored cross-LoC bus and trade between two parts of the divided State. Once the two Governments take a decision it would be conveyed to the State Government”, sources said.
The Government has appointed officials of district administration in Poonch as Incharge of cross-LoC bus and trade, sources said.
It may be reported here that Pakistan authorities had refused to open gates at Chakan-Da-Bagh on January 10 for movement of trucks on Poonch-Rawlakote route for trade after the killing of two Indian Army jawans at Mankot in Poonch sector.
Subsequently, the trade, which used to take place four days a week from Tuesday to Friday and weekly bus service, which plied every Monday, were suspended. With this, 123 civilians of two parts of divided State were stranded on two sides. While 65 PoK citizens were held up on this side, 58 civilians of this side were stranded on other side of the LoC.
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