NEWS

35 Kashmiris to cross LoC on foot

By Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar
November 09, 2005

Another point at the Line of Control will be unlocked at the Kaman bridge near Uri on Wednesday morning to allow relief supplies for quake hit victims. Thirty five Pakistan occupied Kashmir-bound Kashmiris are set to cross the LoC on foot for the first time.

The group was scheduled to board the Srinagar Muzaffarabad bus in the second week of October will now cross on foot using a recently laid footbridge over the KDK Nallah as the Aman Setu bridge is still seriously damaged on the PoK side.

The first such point opened in Poonch on Monday. Three more relief points are scheduled to opened in the next few days.

Most of the 35 Kashmiris who are crossing over have no idea about the fate of their relatives in Muzaffarabad and other places ravaged by the October 8 quake.

"All are residents of Uri and Kupwara and had applied to the local passport officer for travel documents. As their travel documents have been cleared, they will cross the LOC at the Kaman Post when the relief point becomes operational," a senior police officer told this correspondent.

The road up to the Kaman bridge ahead of the Uri border town has been rebuilt by the border roads organization which employed men and machinery round the clock. Earlier authorities had said the rebuilding of the road would take at least two months.

Pakistan authorities are in the final stages of building a Bailey Bridge across the Neelam River in the Tetwal sector of the LoC where the third trans-LOC point is scheduled to open on Thursday.

Complete coverage: Tremors across borders

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

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