Peace Bus: 40 guests in, 99 cross sides

SRINAGAR: As many as 40 residents of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) residents arrived here while only nine Kashmiris crossed over to another side of the Line of Control (LoC) to meet their relatives separated in 1947 due to partition.

The official informed said 50 returnees also crossed sides in the Karvan-e-Aman bus, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of PoK after completing stay with their families, separated in 1947 due to partition on Monday.

They said 40 fresh guests from PoK, including 17 female and 6 children, arrived at Kaman post, the last Indian military post on this side of the LoC at Uri last evening. Five Kashmiris, who had crossed over to another side of LoC in last buses, returned after completing the stay in PoK, sources said, adding that they included two women.

Nine Kashmiris, including five women and a child, crossed over to another side of the LoC to meet their relatives. However, 45 PoK residents who had arrived here in previous cross-LoC buses returned to their homes. They included 16 women and 13 children.

The bus, one of the major Confidence Building Measure (CBM), taken by India and Pakistan has helped thousands of families, divided due to partition in 1947, to meet each other since April 7, 2005.