SRINAGAR : The weekly Karvane-e-Aman bus service, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), resumed today after remaining suspended for two weeks due to drug row.
Official sources told reporters that the bus left Srinagar for Uri this morning for PoK.
They said nine fresh residents of Kashmir going to meet their relatives separated in 1947 and three returnees of PoK are travelling in the bus.
However, 48 truck drivers and their vehicles remained stranded at Salamabad, Uri as they refused to leave after PoK closed the gate on Aman Setu. Similarly PoK also did not allow 27 Kashmiri drivers to leave for here.
The PoK is demanding release of driver who was arrested after 114 packets of brown sugar were recovered from almond bags after the truck reached Salamabad. They wanted to prosecute the driver in PoK.
As the authorities on this side refused to handover the driver, truck and drug to POK, the weekly bus service was also suspended.
However, after three meetings between the authorities from both the sides, it was agreed to resume the bus service from today. However, no decision was taken on resumption of trade. It was however, agreed that they will meet tomorrow or day after tomorrow again to reach to any conclusion. The drivers, who had come here, also remained here for the past two weeks.
The bus service, operating since April 7, 2005 after India and Pakistan agreed to allow travel of divided families living on both sides of the LoC. The trade was included in 2008.
The relatives of trucks drivers on both sides of the LoC also protested demanding return of drivers to their homes. (AGENCIES)
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