Srinagar, Dec 31(UNI) The Karvan-e-Aman bus, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), left here on Monday to cross over to other side of the Line of Control (LoC) at Uri in north Kashmir district of Baramulla, official sources said.
The weekly bus, last of 2018, left Bemina, Srinagar this morning despite chilly weather conditions due to minus 6.6 minimum temperature in summer capital, sources told UNI.
The bus has since reached Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC), Uri, where more passengers will board it before leaving for Kaman post, the last Indian military post on this side of the LoC, they said adding the exact number of passengers travelling to POK will be known in the afternoon.
Similarly, the passengers traveling from POK will be known in the evening. However, during winter the number of POK guests drops due to severe weather conditions in Kashmir, they said adding the number increases in summer when the weather remained pleasant.
Similarly people travelling from here to other side to meet their relatives, separated due to partition in 1947, goes up in winter and drops in summer.
The bus was introduced on April 7, 2005 when India and Pakistan agreed to allow travel of state subjects from both sides on Travel Permits instead of International passport. Thousands of families, divided due to partitions, had met each other after the introduction of the bus.
UNI BAS QAB RHK 2208