March, 17 2005	Thursday	06 Safar 1426

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

LAHORE, March 16: The Muttahida Jihad Council, a conglomerate of 11 outfits busy in waging an armed struggle for independence of Indian-held Kashmir, supports the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service, expecting that it will benefit ordinary people in the held valley. The MJC decided at a recent meeting that no hindrance would be created in the smooth operation of the bus service starting from April 7, sources told Dawn on Wednesday.

The decision was not being publicized so that “common Kashmiris associated with the freedom movement are not demoralized,” they said. The MJC is expecting that trade between Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control will help improve economy of the valley.

They said the ‘freedom fighters’ had spared the Jawaher Lal Nehru tunnel, the only road linking Kashmir with India, during their around 15-year struggle as it was the only route for the Kashmiris for transporting their food and other merchandize.

However, the council felt that the bus service agreement should have been signed by the governments of Azad and occupied Kashmirs and not by Islamabad and New Delhi.

“In its present form, the agreement is not between Kashmiris (living across the LoC).”

Except Syed Ali Gillani, all other leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference had supported the bus service. Mr Gillani had described the step as harmful for the ongoing freedom movement.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that unlike the Lahore-Delhi bus service the passengers travelling on the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar route will have to cross the LoC on foot because operation of buses from both sides will remain confined to their respective territories.

“The operation of buses from Muzaffarbad to Srinagar and vice versa will be possible after some time when technical difficulties are removed,” sources said.

The Indian government has so far issued 100 travelling permits. Most of those availing themselves of the facility are locals, Srinagar-based journalist Naseer Ahmad told Dawn on telephone.

He said (Indian-held Kashmir’s) chief minister Mufti Muhammad Saeed had offered the APHC leaders to go to Muzaffarabad through the first bus operation on April 7 but the APHC had yet to reply. No other prominent figure was among the 100 people who had got the permit so far, he added.

Answering a question, he said the road from Srinagar to the LoC was in the best condition. According to him, it was the only road in the valley which remained opened to traffic throughout the year.

Initially, the bus will run once in a fortnight and its frequency will be increased later keeping in view demand and “other related issues.”