Doubling of passenger quota on Poonch-Rawalkote road link hailed

Chakkan-Da-Bagh (J-K), June 5 : Passengers on the Pakistan bound Poonch-Rawalkote bus service rejoiced after authorities doubled the quota of Kashmiris travelling to both countries.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's special envoy on Kashmir, N. Vohra, during his recent visit to Poonch district, had directed the authorities to increase the quota limit from the Indian side through Chakan-Da-Bagh.

Chakkan-Da-Bagh is thrown open every fortnight to residents on either side of the border.

Some passengers expressed their happiness over the promotion of communal amity by the Indian side.

"We are thankful to the authorities for increasing the number of passengers. All those who have filled the forms for the new renewed quota are more excited and are eagerly waiting to meet their relatives," claimed Lateef, a passenger.

Civilians, who met their families across the border, were also happy, and said this would prove to be a good confidence building measure.

On Tuesday, around 51 Indian passengers crossed over to Pakistan to visit their relatives, and 59 came over to India.

Earlier, the number of passengers allowed to travel between Poonch and Rawalkote was fixed at 30 each for both sides.

The Poonch-Rawalkote bus, which covers a distance of 55 km, is the second inter-Kashmir bus service after the one connecting Srinagar and Muzaffarabad.

This transport link has made it possible for divided families to meet each other after decades.

ANI