The ‘Karwan-e-Aman’ bus service, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad resumed Monday after remaining suspended last week.

The Cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade is likely to resume from tomorrow after remaining suspended since July 21, when over 60 kg of drugs were recovered from a PaK truck at Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC) in Uri.

The bus left Srinagar this morning for Kaman post, the last Indian military post on this side of the LoC in Uri sector, official sources said.

The weekly bus was suspended on July 31st between the two sides after a message was received from Pakistan that there is a holiday in PaK on account of 14th death anniversary of founding president of PaK Sardar Mohammad Ibrahim Khan.

The ‘peace bus’ left Srinagar this morning for Kaman post, the last Indian military post on this side of the LoC in Uri sector, official sources said.

All the passengers who were scheduled to travel last week have been accommodated in the bus, they said.

Sources said the PaK residents who could not travel in Poonch-Rawlakote bus after the service remained suspended for about four week also boarded the bus here to travel return to their houses. The exact number of travelers was not immediately known.

The cross-LoC bus service started on April 7, 2005 has helped thousands of families, divided in 1947 due to partition, to meet each other after India and Pakistan agreed to allow travel of state subjects from both sides on travel permits, instead of international passport.

Pertinently, in Pakistan administered Kashmir,  people today staged a protest and blocked road as Poonch-Rawlakot bus service remain suspended for 5th consecutive week.

The PaK residents, who travelled on the Paigam-e-Aman bus service to visit their relatives in the state, have been held up here for the five weeks.

Cross-LoC bus services on the Poonch-Rawalakot road between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) remained suspended for the fifth consecutive week in the wake of border tensions.

A total of 116 PaK residents, who travelled on the Paigam-e-Aman bus service to visit their relatives in the state, have been held up here for the five weeks.

The cross-LoC bus service was suspended on July 10 due to heavy firing and shelling from the Pakistani side. There has been no firing and shelling by Pakistan troops in the Poonch sector since July 21.

Earlier, last month the travelers also held a protest demonstration in Poonch town demanding the resumption of the cross-LoC bus service between the two sides so that they could return to their homes in PaK. The district administration had then assured them to resume the bus service in a week time.

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