MUZAFFARABAD, April 30: Officials of Azad Kashmir met those of Indian held Kashmir across the Line of Control on Saturday and exchanged with them verified lists of intending travellers for the third trans-Kashmir bus scheduled to roll out on May 5.

The meeting took place on the Indian held territory across the Opi Bridge, some 61 kilometres south of here in Chakothi sector.

Muzaffarabad deputy commissioner Liaqat Hussain, who led the AJK side, told Dawn that the Indian authorities had cleared 33 names out of a list of 63 which he had handed over to them on April 21.

The remaining names were in the process of verification, the DC said, adding that in Saturday meeting he provided another 53 names to the Indian officials for verification.

“We want to have maximum number of verified people available with us for next journeys,” Mr Hussain said.

India had given a list of 119 names to the AJK authorities on April 8 who cleared 32 of them last time. Another 32 names in that list were cleared and returned to the Indian authorities on Saturday, the DC said.

It may be mentioned here that only eleven people from AJK had boarded the second trans-Kashmir bus on April 21 although the authorities had finalised 30 names.