MIR ARIF
Barmulla TKSNN: In yet another round of meeting between authorities; India and Pakistan on Tuesday failed to break around three weeks’ deadlock over the cross-LoC trade.
Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Khwaja Ghulam Ahmad who along with Custodian Trade Showkat Ahmad Mir and SDM Uri Abdul Aziz Shiekh met their Pakistani counterpart led by Brigadier Ismail Khan : “The meeting failed to reach some conclusion as the PAK authorities were adamant on release of their detained truck driver. However we exchanged some official documents including the interrogation report of the arrested driver.”
On January 17, over 100 packets of brown sugar were recovered from a Pakistani truck concealed in nuts at Salamabad Trade facilitation centre. The driver of the truck was arrested and he is presently under judicial custody.The incident led to a complete halt of Cross LoC trade with PAK authorities refusing to take back their 48 drivers and vehicles stranded in Uri. 27 drivers from various parts of Jammu and Kashmir are also stranded on the other side of LoC.
The bus service between Srinagar and Muzafarabad resumed amongst tight security this monday though Transport union from the other side of LOC warned that they won’t allow bus service to resume untill there last stranded truck is not released.Indianand Pakistani officials decided to resume the stalled LoC bus service but there was no agreement on ending the cross LoC trade standoff over seizure of heroin froma Pakistani truck.The DC Baramulla added that he conveyed to PAK authorities that the driver can’t be handed over to them because the matter is in judicial domain. “I told them that the matter is no more under the control of administration and the same is under judicial domain. The PAK authorities said that the authorities on this side should arrange bail for the detained driver. But I told them that it is upto the court to decide the matter,” DC Baramulla added.