Smart Cards to simplify cross border travelling:Omar

Jammu, May 27: The travelling procedure between Jammu and Kashmir and PoK through various links along the Line of Control (LoC) should be made easier by introducing a 'Smart Card System'which will help boost 'people-to-people contact' between the separated parts of the state, National Conference President Omar Abdullah said.

Addressing a public rally at Surankote in the bordering Poonch district yesterday, Mr Abdullah said he had observed that the people intending to travel through these (opened trans-border) links to meet their relatives were facing immense problems due to complicated procedures, which should be simplified so that maximum number of people could avail the facility.

''A very less number of people from this side are able to visit the other side because of the complicated formalities required to be fulfilled to get the travel papers. The government should introduce a Smart Card for those willing to visit their relatives on the other side,'' the NC leader said.

''Introduction of Smart Card will ease the process and people who intend to visit their families will not have to wait for months together,'' Mr Abdullah, who is on a ten-day tour to border districts, said.

He stressed for extending the facility to every one willing to travel from either side of the LOC since limiting it only to divided families had not been able to establish the 'people to people contact' across LOC at the desired scale.

Extending the facility to all the people living on either side would help in further strengthening the Internal Confidence Building Measures (CBMS), he asserted.

UNI