78 trans-Kashmir bus passengers cross sides at Kaman Post

Srinagar, Dec 20 (UNI) As many as 78 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 altogether 45 passengers -- 28 fresh and 17 returnee -- left here for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on board the ''Karvaan-e-Aman (Caravan of Peace)''.

Similarly, 33 passengers -- 20 fresh and 13 returnee -- arrived here from Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, the sources added.

The cross-border bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad was launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from here 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 later came to be known as PoK.

UNI