69 trans-Kashmir bus passengers cross sides at Kaman Post

Srinagar, Apr 26 (UNI) As many as 69 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 33 passengers -- 17 fresh and 16 returnee -- left here for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on board the ''Karvaan-e-Aman (Caravan of Peace)''.

Similarly, 36 passengers -- 29 fresh and 7 returnee -- arrived here from Muzaffarabad.

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 cross-border bus service from Srinagar to Muzaffarabad was launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on April 7, 2005 after nearly 58 years following an agreement 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