Weekly Poonch-Rawalkote bus service begins again

DK Sudan

Poonch, March 20

The weekly Poonch-Rawalkote bus service, ‘Rahen Milan,’ which was suspended last week in the wake of the cross-border firing, resumed today, official sources said.

The cross-Line of Control (LoC) bus service was suspended on March 13 due to heavy shelling on the Indian villages and posts by Pakistan army.

“The cross-LoC bus service, which was suspended last week, resumed today. A total of 125 persons crossed over at Chakan da Bagh. These included 76 PoK residents who came to India. Forty-nine persons, including 11 J&K residents and 38 PoK residents, crossed over to the other side,” said Tanveer Ahmed, Custodian, Cross-LoC bus service.

With the resumption of the bus service, the passengers heaved a sigh of relief and prayed for peace on the LoC.

The Pakistani troops have violated the truce four times in the past 12 days by resorting to small arms firing and mortar shelling on forward posts in the Gulpur, Khari Karmara, Balakote and Bhimbar Gali sectors.

The Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling on the Cross-LoC Trade Centre at Chakan da Bagh on March 11 and 12, damaging the administrative block.