Cross-LoC passenger bus service resumes after a fortnight

The cross-border passenger bus service between India and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, suspended for a fortnight along with trade after the tensions at the Line of Control earlier this month, resumed on Monday, signalling de-escalation of the situation.

Officials 79 POK nationals, who had travelled to this side to meet their relatives in Poonch, returned in the bus service between Poonch and Rawalkote (PoK) via Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point.

15 people from POK and 44 Indian returnees in a total of 59 travelled to Jammu and Kashmir via the bus, they said.

Pakistan had suspended the cross-LoC trade on January 10 and the bus service a day later following the tensions triggered by the killing and brutalising of two Indian soldiders by Pakistani troops on January 8.

Cross-border trade, which had been encouraged in recent years as a means to improve relations between the two countries, is set to resume on Wednesday after being frozen for the last two weeks.

The cross-border bus service from Poonch to Rawalakot was started in April, 2005 as a confidence-building measure between India and Pakistan to enable members of divided families in the region to meet each other.