54 passengers cross LoC at Kaman Post

Srinagar, May 11 (UNI) Altogether 54 passengers on board the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus crossed the Line of Control (LoC) at the Kaman Post in border area of Uri today, official sources said.

As many as 41 passengers -- 25 fresh and 16 returnee -- left here for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on board the ''Karvaan-e-Aman (Caravan of Peace)''.

Similarly, 13 passengers -- seven fresh and six returnee -- arrived here from Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK.

The passengers who had come on board the previous cross-border buses went back to Muzaffarabad after visiting their relatives in Kashmir, Poonch, Rajouri and Jammu.

The sources said a large number of people, comprising relatives, friends and well-wishers, gave a warm send-off to the passengers.

The cross-border bus service between the divided Kashmir was launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from here on April 7 last year after nearly 58 years following an agreement reached between India and Pakistan to allow families, separated since 1947, to meet each other.

The 170-km Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, also known as the Jhelum Valley road, was closed for traffic on October 27, 1947 when ''Kabailis (tribesmen)'' invaded parts of Jammu and Kashmir which came to be known as PoK.

UNI AG PA KN1728