79 trans-Kashmir bus passengers cross sides at Kaman Post

Srinagar, Feb 15 (UNI) As many as 79 passengers crossed sides at the ''Kaman Aman Setu (Peace Bridge)'' along the Line of Control (LoC) on board the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus today, official sources said.

Altogether 36 passengers -- 25 fresh and 11 returnee -- left here for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on board the ''Karvaan-e-Aman (Caravan of Peace)''.

Similarly, 43 passengers -- 21 fresh and 22 returnee -- arrived here from Muzaffarabad.

The cross-border bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad was launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from here on April 7, 2005 to allow divided families to meet each other after 58 years.

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