Cross-LoC bus remains suspended for fifth week, stranded PoK residents protest: Muzaffarabad service resumed

State Times News
JAMMU/SRINAGAR: The cross-LoC bus service through the Poonch-Rawalakot road continued to remain suspended for the fifth week in a row, triggering protests by stranded residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) while the Karavan-e-Aman weekly bus service across the Line of Control on the Srinagar- Muzaffarabad road resumed on Monday, a week after it was suspended.
According to officials the trade on this route is scheduled to resume on Tuesday.
“The Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service operated today after an agreement reached with authorities from Pakistan- occupied Kashmir last week,” an official said here. He said 116 passengers boarded the bus bound for Muzaffarabad, Cross-LoC bus …
the capital of PoK, this morning. “It includes 110 residents of PoK who are returning home after spending time with their relatives here while six persons from Jammu and Kashmir are going to meet their relatives on other side of LoC,” he said. The PoK residents including Mohd Bashir, Mohd Arslan, Mohd Fazal, Abdul Qyooom, Gulzar Mohd, Rabia Iqbal and Shabir Ahd and others staged a Dharna and blocked the Jammu – Poonch National Highway near Government Higher Secondary School Poonch. They said that they made repeated efforts to cross back to their country but the Security Forces at Chakan-da-Bagh did not open gate due to which 116 PoK visitors are continuing their stay here without papers and permission for the last more than five weeks.
They further said that while their stay here is illegal which may lead to action by Government of India under law of the land but at the same time their domestic affairs and business in PoK are suffering besides the fact that they have become financially hard up. They urged the Government of India to take up the issue with Pakistan Government for their immediate return.
Immediately on receipt of information the SHO Poonch Mohd Amin alongwith his team reached the spot and interacted with the visitors. They were advised that their case will be taken up with the higher authorities through DDC Poonch. On his assurance they lifted Dharna and traffic was resumed.
The weekly bus service was suspended on July 10, due to heavy firing and shelling by Pakistani troops in Poonch sector, leaving 116 PoK guests stranded at the houses of their relatives on this side of the Line of Control (LoC).
The PoK residents staged a protest at the Poonch stadium, the place where the passengers travelling on the route usually gather before leaving for Chakan-da-bagh crossing point, demanding early return to their homes.
“The PoK residents staged protest and later met me in my office demanding early return,” Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, Tariq Ahmad Zargar said.
The protesters were concerned about the welfare of their families back home and some complained that they had taken leave from work for just a fortnight.
“I assured them that we are hopeful of a solution within shortest possible time,” Zargar said adding “we are doing our best to ensure early return of the PoK residents and have taken up the matter with the Army authorities”.