Shrine Board land row affects Karvaan-e-Aman bus

Srinagar, Aug 14 (UNI) In view of the unrest in the state due to Amarnath land row and 'Muzaffarabad Chalo' call given by both factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC), the Karvaan-e-Aman bus run was suspended today.

The bus service for today has been suspended because of the prevailing situation in the state,'' Director General of Police (DGP) Kuldeep Khuda said.

However, official sources said another reason for suspending bus service was the Muzaffarabad chalo call by the Hurriyat Conference. Senior Hurriyat leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz was among four people killed and scores injured after police opened fire to stop the marchers on August 11 on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road.

This is for the first time the bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) was suspended since its inauguration by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on April 7,2005.

The authorities in PoK have also been informed about the decision to suspend the bus service, source said.

However, the service remained suspended for about a month after the Amen Setu (peace bridge), on river Jhelum connecting both the Kashmiris and major portion of the road on other side was damaged in devastating earthquake on October 8, 2005.

Through this bus service, thousands of people from both sides of the Line of Control (LOC) had so far visited their relatives, separated since 1947.

The passengers from Muzaffarabad had to cover a distance of 50 km to reach Chakoti, the last military post from the Pakistani side.

The bus service between the divided Kashmir was established after 58 years following agreement 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 BAS KK AS1326