120 board Karvaan-e-Aman bus cross sides in Kashmir

Srinagar, Aug 30 (UNI) Altogether 120 passengers, on board the Karvaan-e-Aman bus today cross sides at Kaman post, the last Indian military post in Uri sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

Official sources said 21 citizens of the Jammu and Kashmir today boarded Karvaan-e-Aman buses at an undisclosed place to meet their relatives in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) for the first time after their separation during 1947 partition.

As many as 50 citizens of POK, who had come here also left for their homes this morning, after meeting their relatives.

The passengers had to deboard the buses on this side of the Aman Setu and cross the bridge on river Jehlum on foot to reach other side of the Line of Control (LoC). They will be taken to Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK in their buses.

They said 30 citizens of POK also arrived here after crossing the bridge on foot near Kaman post. As many as 19 others, who had crossed over to other side, also returned today after their meeting with their relatives in PoK.

About 7000 citizens of this side and PoK crossed sides since the Jehlum valley bus was flagged off by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairpersons Sonia Gandhi and then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on April 7,2005. However, the service was disrupted for few months after major portion of the road on PoK side and Aman Setu bridge were damaged in devastating earthquake on October 8,2005.

UNI