Authorities on both side of the Line of Control (LoC) again failed to reach an agreement to resume the suspended bus service and trade between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Indian Kashmir authorities met at the Chakothi Crossing Point Tuesday, but the meeting bore no fruits with both sides only agreeing to take up the minutes of the meeting with their respective high-ups for further consideration before the cross-border bus service and trade could be resumed. The bus service and trade between the two sides was suspended on Friday after the Indian authorities arrested a Pakistani truck driver, accusing him of smuggling heroin.
At the meeting, second in four days, the AJK side was represented by Trade and Travel Authority Director-General Brig (r) Imtiaz Ahmed Wain, DIG Muzaffarabad Tahir Mehmood, Commissioner Muzaffarabad Division Ghulam Bashir Mughal while the Indian side was represented by DC Baramula Talat Pervez, SP Baramula Sohail Mir and SDMOD Shaoukat Ahmad.
During the negotiations, the AJK authorities demanded that they should be given access to the arrested truck drivers, Inyat Hussain and Muhammad Shafiq Awan, who was arrested earlier, and the calling data of an arrested trader in India Kashmir should also be provided to verify that who he was in contact with on this side of the border. They also demanded that copies of the FIRs against the drivers should be provided to them. The AJK delegation also demanded that in future trucks from both sides should offloaded on the respective sides of bridge instead of offloading them after crossing the bridge.
The Indian authorities said they would take up their proposals with their high-ups for consideration. The Indian side said that the issue of the arrested driver Hussain was pending in the court and they would only be in a position to inform them after the court decides the matter.
The Indian authorities said they were ready to hand over 21 Pakistani stranded trucks. The Indian side also demanded that the 50 stranded Pakistani trucks and drivers on their side of the Chakhoti border should be called back and bus and truck service should be resumed.
The AJK authorities said they would also take up the matter with the high-ups before agreeing to resume the bus service. Sources said that next high-level meeting between the both sides would be held in the next 24 to 48 hours to sort out the pending issues.
Meanwhile, the AJK authorities met with stranded truck drivers of Indian Kashmir at the Chakhoti Terminal and assured them that they would be sent soon.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry Secretary Information Ejaz Ahmad Mir while hailing the ongoing negotiations has demanded that both the sides take practical steps for early resumption of the bus service and releasing the stranded trucks. Meanwhile, the Chakhoti police have detained TFO Chakhoti Crossing Basharat Iqbal for investigation for his alleged involvement in the trafficking drug case. The same police also raided the house of local trader Mushtaq Ahmed Mir, who sends trucks to Indian Kashmir, and arrested his father and brother for investigation in the same case.
