MUZAFFARABAD, May 4: As the authorities finalized names of passengers for the third Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus set to roll out on Thursday, employees of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government are upset at being denied permission to travel across the Line of Control.

“The decision-makers have no right to deprive us of a facility which we too have waited for years. It (denial) is absolutely unfair,” remarked a government servant, belonging to one of the divided Kashmiri families, here on Tuesday.

The BPS-18 officer of a semi-government organization, who wanted to be named only as Sheikh, had submitted his own and wife’s application for the trans-LoC journey at the outset of the process as he wanted to “visit his late father’s birthplace”.

Last month, intelligence agency personnel swamped his residence and office to carry out formal investigations raising his hopes regarding the visit.

He also informed his relatives in Srinagar on phone about his “likely visit” and was delighted to know that a big reception was awaiting them on the other side.

But his plans were shattered as the authorities are not allowing government employees, both gazetted and non-gazetted, to undertake the journey.

“Yes, there is an undeclared ban for the time being on government servants due to some internal policy decision,” an official source said.

However, Muzaffarabad deputy commissioner Liaquat Hussain denied that any such decision had been taken.

“We have not yet taken a decision whether government servants should be allowed to travel by the bus,” he told this correspondent.

“We are forwarding their applications to the quarters concerned for clearance but so far none of them has been chosen for the journey,” he added.