8 April 2005	Friday	28 Safar 1426

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ISLAMABAD, April 7: The government has condemned firing on the first trans-Kashmir bus and termed it an attempt by the vested interests to sabotage and create obstacles in the way of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service launched on Thursday. Federal Minister for Information Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in the capacity of the government spokesman read out a statement at a news conference here on Thursday on behalf of President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

The statement said: “The president and the prime minister have asserted that no one will be allowed to come between the people living on either side of the Line of Control.”

They stated that the decision to launch the bus service was taken in response to a popular demand of the Kashmiri people after extensive deliberations and consultations with the Kashmiri leadership on both sides of the LoC.

The bus service is meant to facilitate the divided families in Azad Kashmir and held Kashmir and the people to people contact, they said.

They urged all concerned to earnestly work towards an early and permanent resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

Answering a question about the home coming of People’s Party Parliamentarians leader Asif Ali Zardari, Mr Rashid said: “Much depends on April 16 as it will become clear on the day whether the ongoing contacts with the party are to be continued or will break up once for all.”

He told a questioner that he had cancelled his visit to India scheduled for April 12.