MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Indian held Kashmir (IHK) officials met here on Monday to break the deadlock in talks over the trans-Line of Control (LoC) travel and trade. However, the talks remained inconclusive.

Both sides decided to refer some of the suggestions to their respective higher authorities for a final decision.

The meeting began at 4pm and continued till 5:30pm at the Kaman Bridge, some 60 kilometres south of Muzaffarabad.

Those who participated in the meeting from AJK included Ghulam Bashir Mughal and Tahir Mahmood Qureshi, Commissioner and DIG, respectively, of Muzaffarabad division, Brig (retired) Imtiaz Wyne, director general Travel and Trade Authority (TATA), Basharat Iqbal, trade facilitation officer, Salim Durrani and Ashfaq Gillani, DSP and SDM of Hattian Bala.

Deadlock persists over trans-Line of Control travel and trade

The Indian held Kashmir side was represented by Capt Anthony, officer commanding Kaman post, Talat Pervez and Suhail Ahmed Mir, Deputy Commissioner and SSP district Baramulla, and Shaukat Ahmed, SDM Uri.

On Friday, the IHK authorities had allegedly recovered around 12 kilograms of suspected contraband item from an orange laden truck from AJK. They arrested its driver Syed Inayat Shah and trader Zahoor Ahmed Malla, in whose name the consignment was booked from here.

Due to this development, all 22 trucks from AJK and 50 from IHK have been stuck up on the opposite sides.

Both sides submitted their demands and proposals during the 90-minute meeting but failed to reach any decision “because some issues involved the consent of the foreign and home ministries on both sides,” Mr Mughal told Dawn.

Separately, Mr Wyne told Dawn that the meeting was held in a “positive atmosphere.”

However, he also stated that since both sides needed time to consult their higher authorities on some issues, no decision could be taken.

The AJK side stressed the need for information sharing, including access to driver Inayat Shah, provision of a copy of the FIR and the suspected contraband items.

In this regard, the AJK team also pointed out the case of driver Shafique Awan, who was facing incarceration across the LoC since January last year on similar charges, notwithstanding commitments from across the LoC for his speedy trial.

“We told them in such a situation neither can we follow the cases nor can we provide legal cover to the detained drivers,” Mr Mughal said.

According to them, the IHK team welcomed the idea of joint investigation but declined to give any assurance without referring it to their higher authorities.

Mr Mughal said the IHK team was eager to resume trade and travel.

However, they were told that the trade could not be resumed immediately without settling some basic issue.

Earlier in the day relatives of driver Inayat Shah staged a demonstration in Garhi Dopatta, where they burnt tyres on Muzaffarabad-Srinagar road.

The demonstrators included brother and children of the detained driver.

They chanted slogans against the authorities for their failure to protect drivers.

“My brother was just a driver. He did not know what was packed in the consignment. Those who scanned and certified the vehicle for LoC crossing should be penalised,” said Zulfiqar Hussain.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2015

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