Pakistan refuses entry to peace bus from India

[FalconsForPeace]

Authorities in Azad Kashmir on Monday refused to allow a bus from India to enter, thereby continuing the deadlock over the cross-LoC trade and the peace bus service in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

Officials in Poonch district said when the Poonch-Rawlakote bus carrying 17 passengers reached the Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point on Monday, Pakistani officials did not open the gate to allow the bus to enter their side.

“We had to finally cancel the service. The bus was carrying 17 passengers, 14 of whom were returning home to Pakistan, while three were going to visit relatives there from our side,” an official said.

Pakistani authorities have already stopped the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad peace bus service, linking the bus operation to the resolution of the deadlock over trade across the Line of Control (LoC).

On Jan 17, police and customs officials at the Salamabad trade facilitation centre in Baramulla seized 114 packets of brown sugar from a truck coming from Azad Kashmir.

The truck driver and a local trader who was to receive the narcotics were arrested.

Pakistani officials first claimed the driver could not be arrested as he enjoyed diplomatic immunity. When the Indian foreign office challenged the claim, Pakistan linked the bus services with the resolution of the deadlock.

Pakistan later refused to allow the return of 27 drivers and their trucks from India.

Pakistan refuses entry to peace bus from India - The Hindu

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

it's a tit for tat measure, this may be against our interests

apart from supporting the freedom struggle - a key component is the promotion of cross LoC contact of people; we need to hold cultural events and things like that (i.e. soft power) to remind the Kashmiris where their identity lies

shutting bus routes is immature and not visionary thinking

 

[Sliver]

if you have to "remind" someone where their identity lies, dont you think you are forcing them to that identity? shouldnt it be a choice without coercion?

Shutting people contact for political purposes is very bad. Causing inconvenience to people based on perceptions of politicians.


@Abu Zolfiqar

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

if you have to "remind" someone where their identity lies, dont you think you are forcing them to that identity? shouldnt it be a choice without coercion?

Shutting people contact for political purposes is very bad. Causing inconvenience to people based on perceptions of politicians.


@Abu Zolfiqar

sure i'll re-word it...remind them (if necessary) who their friends are, whom they share linguistic and ethnic ties with and whom they belong to.


Kashmiris arent indian, never have been never will be. Ask them themselves.