LoC - The Line Which Divides!

Srinagar, Jan 19 (UNI) The Line of Control (LoC), that has divided not only Jammu and Kashmir but scores of families as well since decades, will always evoke bitterness in two-month-old Muskan Sadiq.

She was stopped from crossing the man-made dividing line by the Pakistani authorities for not possessing travel documents.

It was a happy journey for Aisha Begum, Muskan's mother, on board ''Karavan-e-Aman (Caravan of Peace)'' from her house at Kalgai in Uri till she reached the Kaman Post near the LoC yesterday.

And as she along with Muskan stepped on the invisible line to cross over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to meet her relatives in Muzaffarabad, the excitement fizzled out and soon turned into disappointment.

Pakistani authorities refused to allow Muskan to cross the LoC along with her mother as she did not possess the necessary travel documents.

Aisha cried and begged but her repeated requests fell on deaf ears. ''She can't be allowed...She doesn't have documents neither have been we informed about her travel plans,'' a visibly un-moved Pakistani official told her.

Aisha finally gave up and crossed to the other side because of some extreme urgency.

Muskan was separated from her mother and the infant had to return with her father Mohammed Sadiq Khan who was at the Kaman Post to see them off.

The heart-rending scene was witnessed by scores of people who had come to see off and receive passengers of the cross-border bus service, launched by India and Pakistan on April 7, 2005.

Tears rolled down the cheeks of everyone present at the Kaman Post as Aisha waved bye to Muskan from across the dividing line.

UNI