The cross-LoC bus service between Poonch and Rawalakot in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was suspended on 10 July by the authorities in the wake of firing and shelling by the Pakistan Army, officials said. The travel across the Line of Control (LoC) was scheduled for 10 July.
The shelling by the Pakistan Army damaged the two-storey administrative block of Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC) and police barracks at Chakan-Da-Bagh, which is the point for crossing of the bus and trade exchange at the LoC.
“There has been Pakistan shelling overnight. As a precautionary measure, cross-LoC bus service from here has been suspended,” said an officer connected with the LoC travel.
In the shelling, the TFC and police barracks suffered damages at Chakan-Da-Bagh, a police officer said. However, no one was injured, he added.
The bus service between Poonch and Rawalakot through the Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point was started in 2006 to enable the divided families of Jammu and Kashmir and PoK to re-connect. It is also a point for exchange of trade.
The cross-LoC trade and travel, both twice a week, are considered major confidence building measures between India and Pakistan. Since last Saturday, the Pakistan Army has been shelling Poonch intermittently with 82 and 120 mm mortar bombs.
On Saturday, an off-duty Army jawan and his wife were killed and four others were injured in the Pakistani shelling.
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