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Mufti oversees work on road to LoC Kaman Post (LoC), March 13 He made his first visit here today to oversee the work on the 18-km-long stretch of the Jhelum valley road from Uri to the LoC for running the bus service between the two sides from April 7 after a gap of 58 years. Mufti said he would also urge the Centre to ensure that chance to visit the other side of the LoC should be first given to the divided families. As work is apace to build Kaman bridge, divided by the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan, and repair the road, he said this would bridge the gap between the two countries. Mufti appreciated the role of the Government of India and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for taking into consideration the aspirations of the people. He held that the government did not make it “hostage to the technical details”. Mufti Sayeed said both countries had looked at it from a human angle as no documents like passports and visas would be required for travelling on the bus from either side of the LoC. said. He said the beginning of the bus service was only a trickle which would be followed by weekly services and later daily services on the pattern of pre-Independence days. He pointed out that there would be more trade between the two sides, adding that it would be “for the benefit of the people.” Replying questions, Mufti said the beginning of the bus service was not a substitute to the resolution of Kashmir problem. He held that the issue would be a step to be taken later on. Expressing his happiness over the developments, Mufti said the development was only Kashmir focussed, adding that both sides had respected the wishes and aspirations of the people of Kashmir. He gave the credit to the people of Kashmir for this development who had trusted the democratic process by participating in the elections, particularly the recently concluded local bodies elections. The 18-km-long stretch between Uri and the Kaman Post, last point on the LoC, had been in disuse like that on the other side for the past 58 years, when the last bus had arrived in Srinagar from Muzaffarabad on September 18, 1947. Today the feeling was that of felicitation along the road as number of civil and Army vehicles carried loads of construction material on the entire stretch. It was on February 23 that the Army, Beacon and civil administration started work on the improvement of the road. This had been the last spot where the movement of locals and others at times was being allowed prior to the decision on beginning of bus service agreed upon by the two countries on February 16. After the agreement on beginning bus service the authorities had been faced with two major challenges, the presence of landmines on a part of the stretch and dilapidated road condition. While the work will be completed before the bus starts, the de-mining of the 400-metre stretch of the road has been completed.  |
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Jammu-Srinagar highway closed again Jammu, March 13 “The Srinagar-Jammu national highway has been closed again to the vehicular traffic due to a fresh landslide at Kayla Morh and falling stones at Panthal on the Ramban-Banihal stretch of the highway this afternoon,” they said. With the closure of the highway, over 2,000 vehicles had been stranded at various places on the highway, besides a heavy traffic jam on the Patnitop-Udhampur stretch, they said. The men and machines of the Border Road Organisation (BRO) had been pressed into service to clear the landslide at Kayla Morh and stones at Panthal in Ramban-Banihal sector of the highway, they said. The traffic authorities had allowed vehicles to move towards Srinagar from Jammu today, they said, adding that all those vehicles got stranded on the highway.
— PTI |
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