68 trans-Kashmir bus passengers cross sides at Kaman Post

Srinagar, Jun 21 (UNI) As many as 68 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.

They said a total of 39 passengers -- 21 fresh and 18 returnee -- left here for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on board the ''Karvaan-e-Aman (Caravan of Peace)''.

Similarly, 29 passengers -- 24 fresh and 5 returnee -- arrived here from Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, the sources added.

The cross-border bus service between divided Kashmir was launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on April 7, 2005, 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