MUZAFFARABAD, March 31: Pakistani authorities will finalise in the next couple of days names of 30 passengers from Pakistan for the first bus to Srinagar in 60 years, an official said on Thursday. “The finalisation of names will take two to three days,” said the official in response to a question asked by Dawn.

India verified 43 out of 46 names of intending travellers from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the list was returned to Muzaffarabad Deputy Commissioner Liaquat Hussain on Wednesday at a flag meeting.

Pakistan has cleared 29 out of 40 names provided by India. Some Indian newspapers have been reporting that occupied Kashmir’s ruling People’s Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti, opposition National Conference chief Omar Abdullah and some other politicians might come to Muzaffarabad in the first bus from Srinagar.

But the official told Dawnthat there was no prominent political figure on the list which India had provided to Pakistani authorities for verification a week ago. However, some well-placed sources told Dawnthat some moves were under way to facilitate Kashmiri politicians to come to Azad Kashmir in the first bus.

Islamabad, the sources said, had received a separate list of seven Kashmiri politicians who wanted to board the first bus to Muzaffarabad in 60 years. “The request was being considered at the highest level,” they added. A Pakistani newspaper on Thursday quoted PDP chairperson Mehbooba Mufti as saying that they had sought the permission to visit Muzaffarabad with good intention and if their request was turned down it would be a regrettable decision on the part of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Indian and Pakistani officials are likely to hold another meeting along the Line of Control on April 5 to swap lists for verification of the passengers for the second bus.

When asked how many forms had been cleared and would be given to Indian officials on April 5, the official said the exact number was being calculated. “We are processing the available forms,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kashmiris living in Muzaffarabad on Thursday strongly condemned threats hurled by some militant groups to the bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad and termed these threats un-Islamic and anti-Kashmiri step.

“We condemn this threat. Islam does not allow threatening or targeting innocent people,” said Raja Izhar Khan, a leader of Kashmiri refugees.

“I fail to understand who are these groups — whether fighters or the RAW’s people.

“It is a great sin for a Muslim to threaten a mother who wants to see her son or a brother who wants to meet her sister on either side of the Line of Control,” Mr Khan said.

Mr Khan’s son is on the list of 43 people, which India returned to Pakistani officials on Wednesday after verification.

Thirty of these people, who would be cleared by authorities concerned, would ride the first bus on April 7.

Another migrant Iqbal Awan questioned the authority of fighters to make such illogical and threatening statements.

“This bus is running to help the divided families. Who are they (fighters) to stop Kashmiri families from meeting each other,” said Mr Awan who has also applied for the trans-Kashmir journey.

A lawyer, Shahid Bahar, who is also among the likely riders of the first bus, was of the view that the threat was aimed at derailing the peace process.