MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 14: India and Pakistan opened a fourth crossing point along the heavily militarized Line of Control in Kashmir on Monday but like the earlier three openings, the fourth one also failed to witness any human movement across the dividing line.
The Tattapani-Mendhar crossing was opened in the territorial limits of AJK’s southern Poonch district but civilian officials from adjoining Kotli district were assigned the task of dealing with the development.
Tattapani, however, is part of district Kotli.
Witnesses said Pakistani and Indian officials stretched out their arms over the barbed wire to shake hands, declaring the crossing formally open, though only for the exchange of relief supplies.
Deputy commissioner of Kotli Ehsan Khalid Kiani told Dawn by telephone that the Indians had brought ten truckloads of relief items whereas there were only two trucks from Pakistan. The goods were transferred by porters between the trucks parked on opposite sides.
Kotli district has not been hit by the quake and Mr Kiani said the relief goods provided by the Indians would be distributed among the quake survivors in the adjoining Poonch district.
Around 300 civilians, including AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat’s elder son, had gathered along the AJK side of the LoC to witness the historic occasion. However, there were no civilians on the Indian side, only government and army officials and a sizeable press corps.
“It was a memorable occasion characterized by a very pleasant and cordial atmosphere. Nobody felt as if there was any dividing line between them,” Mr Kiani remarked.
He said the occasion also provided a rare opportunity to a Kotli-based AJK government official to see and exchange pleasantries with his cousin serving in held Kashmir police department for about two hours.
However, the disappointment of members of divided families was quite visible.
“All we need is permission to cross over to see our long-separated relatives. Relief is of secondary importance,” one resident told Dawn by telephone, urging the two governments to take decision in this regard at the earliest.
Mr Kiani said around 1000 forms had so far been issued for foot-crossing through the Tattapani-Mendhar point, of which more than 700 had been returned by eager applicants.
Authorities say that both sides are yet to work out modalities for human movement across the LoC.
However, a Foreign Office spokesman told reporters in Islamabad that Pakistan had handed 70 names to the Indian authorities and cleared 83 names of people from the Indian side willing to cross over from different points.
