ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday named the designated authorities from whom application forms could be obtained by people intending to cross the five points along the Line of Control (LoC).

On October 29, Pakistan and India agreed on the opening of five posts across the LoC to enable people participate in earthquake relief and reconstruction efforts.

On Monday one post was opened though only for exchange of relief material between officials as India and Pakistan are yet to exchange lists of people intending to avail themselves of the facility.

Two more points are to be opened in the next two days. But it will take a few more days before people can cross. There are no indications yet as to when New Delhi and Islamabad will exchange the lists of people seeking to cross over.

As per the agreement the procedure for people wanting to cross over is the same as the one followed in the case of passengers on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service. Both sides have agreed to clear the names forwarded for crossing within 10 days of their submission.

Since Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf announced his proposal to throw open the LoC on October 18, Islamabad has sought to give an impression that it would like it to be implemented at the earliest.

However the follow-up action, particularly from the Pakistan Foreign Office, has been slow. It was not until four days after Gen. Musharraf's announcement that it submitted concrete proposals to India on executing the idea.

The naming of the authorities 10 days after the agreement with India is yet another instance of the slow response of the Government.

The only consolation for the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is that unlike in the case of the bus service where they could get the application forms only from Muzaffarabad, in the case of the five crossing points they can obtain them from the district authorities close to the LoC points. The designated authorities are Tithwal-Tangdhar, Deputy Commissioner Neelum, Chakoti-Uri, Additional Deputy Commissioner Hattian, Hajipir-Uri, Assistant Director (Social Welfare) Bagh, Rawalakot-Poonch, Assistant Director (Animal Husbandry) Rawalakot and Tattapani-Mendhar, Assistant Commissioner Kotli.

Confidence-building measure

In a related development Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri has said that while the spirit behind the opening of five posts across the LoC is to help quake-affected people on both sides, it may also prove to be a big confidence building measure.

"We do realise that it will be a very big confidence building measure (CBM)," the Minister told BBC Radio. "It will be a Kashmir-specific CBM between the countries" the Minister said, adding that "we pray to God to enable us to run it successfully."

Delay

To a question he said that the `Indians' delay' in opening the remaining points maybe because of the landmines on their side.

Relief goods ready

Pakistan has made all arrangements on all the five points and the relief goods are also ready, he said. He said Pakistan wished that there should be maximum opening points and the procedure should be such that people could easily cross the LoC.

"That is why we made the proposal that any document of identification should be acceptable such as driving license, identity card or any kind of local document so that people could travel easily," the Minister said.

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