Four months on, cross-LoC travel and trade via Poonch-Rawalkote to resume next week

J&K has witnessed the worst border skirmishes between India and Pakistan along the LoC this year. File Photo

After remaining suspended for nearly four months, cross-LoC trade between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir via Poonch-Rawalkote road is expected to resume next week, a government official said on Saturday.

The decision to resume the suspended travel and trade was taken at a meeting between officials of the two sides near the Line of Control on Saturday, custodian of LoC trade (Poonch), Mohammad Tanveer said. Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have sought a meeting with their counterparts from PoK to discuss the modalities for resumption of the cross-LoC travel and trade, which gets hit due to cross-border shelling.

J&K has witnessed the worst border skirmishes between India and Pakistan along the LoC this year. While the bus service connecting the divided parts of Kashmir was suspended on July 10, the trade, which takes place for four days a week from Tuesday, also remained suspended from July 11.

According to official figures, goods worth Rs 1,500 crore were traded since the start of the facility in 2008. The Indian Army figures, till August 1, said there were 285 ceasefire violations by the Pakistan army, while in 2016, the number was 228 for the entire year. Eleven people, including nine soldiers, were killed and 18 injured in ceasefire violations by the Pakistan army in July.