ISLAMABAD, March 5: The Pakistan government has decided to ask the Indian government to improve travelling facilities between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad by easing restrictions on the people of occupied Kashmir.

Informed sources told Dawn here on Saturday that the government would soon contact the Indian authorities to help address genuine concerns of the Kashmiris regarding travel to Azad Kashmir and Pakistan.

Various Kashmiri political parties, especially All Parties Hurriat Conference (APHC), had urged the Pakistan government to take up the issue with the Indian government or else majority of the Kashmiris in the occupied valley would not be able to visit Azad Kashmir.

"This is an important matter which is being taken up with the Indian officials", a source said and expressed a hope that New Delhi would remove various restrictions on Kashmiris with a view to helping them freely travel to Azad Kashmir.

The convenor of APHC Azad Kashmir and Pakistan chapter, Farooq Rehmani, when contacted, confirmed that Pakistan government had been asked to take up the travel issue with the Indian officials.

"We have told the Pakistani government that there are a number of restrictions on the Kashmiris of occupied Kashmir in respect of travel to Azad Kashmir and without removing them majority of the people cannot benefit from this latest confidence building measure", he said.

He identified five major Indian laws that could cause hurdles for the Kashmiris travelling to Azad Kashmir. These, he said, included detention laws, Disturbed Area Act, Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, Public Safety Act, modified POTA and Unlawful Activities Act.

"Some Kashmiris had left for Azad Kashmir and Pakistan 15 years ago. Since then their relatives in occupied Kashmir have been subjected to suspicion and it is very much likely that they will never be allowed to visit Azad Kashmir", Mr Rehmani said.

Passports of large number of people in occupied Kashmir, the APHC convenor said, had been confiscated by the Indian government and they just could not think of travelling to Azad Kashmir. Unless passport were released to these people, it would be difficult for them to visit Pakistani part of Kashmir, he added.

Similarly, he said, thousands of Kashmiris had been disallowed to perform Haj or Umra this year due to one reason or another. "And now if they apply for permission to visit Azad Kashmir they would again be stopped, therefore we request the Pakistan government to take up the matter with the Indian government", he said.

Responding to a question, he said that the Passport Office of Srinagar had started receiving applications from those who intended to travel to Muzaffarabad. "But, according to our information, there is very strict scrutiny regarding residence and other details of the applicants.

Mr Rehmani was of the view that there would be negative impacts on CBMs made so far if the Kashmiris of the occupied land were not facilitated to travel to Muzaffarabad. "But, according to our information, there is very strict scrutiny regarding residence and other details of the applicants. If this practice continues, I do not think even 5 percent of them would be able to go to Muzaffarabad", he added.