Pak expects early re-opening of crossing points at LoC

Islamabad, Apr 8 (UNI) Pakistan has expressed the hope that with the improvement in the weather conditions, the five designated crossing points at the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir would become operational for the people of the divided families of Kashmir.

The two countries had opened five points to promote interaction among Kashmiris on either side of the LoC following the October 8, 2005 earthquake but the bad weather in winter season prevented people to meet each other.

''We exchanged a list of over a dozen people on March 30, and our preference still remains that the procedure of documentation should not be cumbersome for Kashmiris so that they can cross over easily,'' The News quoted foreign office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam as saying.

The spokesperson, however, could not confirm the Indian media reports from Srinagar that nearly 1,000 people of divided families from the two Kashmirs travelled to Srinagar-Muzaffarabad since the start of the bus service last April.

''I do not have the exact numbers of the people who have crossed over using this bus service but it is a good sign that more and more people across the LoC are being able to establish contacts,'' added the spokesperson.

The first Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus rolled into Pakistan occupied Kashmir on April 7, 2005.

Recently the leaders from Kashmir on their visit to Pakistan had severely criticised the process of documentation for Kashmiris to cross the LoC. They said that this very lengthy procedure ensured that fewer people crossed over and the crossings over had indeed been negligible.

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