The Hindu : International / India & World : Pakistan for Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service without passports

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 16, 2004

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International - India & World

Pakistan for Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service without passports

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, OCT. 15. Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, has said that Pakistan favoured a bus service between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar without passports and visas.

"This is not something that I am saying, I met a large number of Indians during my visit to New Delhi in September and they say it seems quite alright. They also say it is also consistent with India's own position," he told reporters after addressing an international seminar here on Thursday.

The proposed Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service is part of the confidence-building measures being discussed by the two countries.

Though both sides agree in principle to it, differences persist on the nature of travel documents for the bus passengers.

Pakistan has been advocating travel without passports and visas on the plea that travelling to Srinagar on Indian visas on the route would amount to recognition of the Line of Control (LoC) as the border. It could impact on the ongoing dialogue between the two countries.

Mr. Kasuri claimed that he met several Kashmiri leaders in India and in Pakistan and that there was not a single leader who had said he would like to travel with passports and visas.

"These are the Kashmiri people who are going to travel and if they not wish to travel with passports and visas, then how will the travel take place," he said.

Mr. Kasuri maintained that Pakistan was not laying any harsh condition. "We are not being stubborn (on the issue), it is just being reasonable."

The expert-level meetings on the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service had been planned in November. It is hoped that progress will be made when the two Foreign Secretaries meet in December to review the entire process.

Mr. Kasuri said there had been an increase in people-to-people contacts.

"We are interested and encouraging the people to people contact across the LoC," he added.

Visit stopped

In a related development, the Pakistan Interior Ministry is said to have barred a 12-member delegation of intellectuals, political workers and journalists from visiting Charar-e-Sharif in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to a report in the Urdu daily, Nawai-e-Waqt, the delegation members were told on arrival at the Wagah border that the Interior Ministry had imposed restrictions on their visit.

After returning to Rawalpindi last night, the delegation's spokesman, Bashir Indrabi, stated that after receiving clearance letters from the Interior and Foreign Ministries, the delegation had obtained Indian visas. He said the delegation members were disappointed.

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