The Karvan-e-Aman bus, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), left here on Monday morning despite rain and snow, official sources said.
The bus left from Bemina on Srinagar outskirts Monday morning, sources told UNI.
They said the bus has since reached Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC) at Uri, where more passengers will board it before leaving for Kaman post, the last Indian military post on this side of the Line of Control (LoC).
The exact number of passengers travelling in the bus to PoK will be known in the afternoon, they said, adding similarly the number of PoK guests will be known in the evening.
The bus was introduced on April 7,2005 despite opposition by the militant outfits. However, almost all separatist leaders, barring chairman of hardline Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Democratic Freedom Party (DPF) chief Shabir Ahmad Shah, have travelled in the bus.
The bus has helped thousands of families, separated in 1947 due to partition meet each other. However, only state subjects from both sides are allowed to travel after their names are cleared by the intelligence agencies from both India and Pakistan. People from both sides are allowed to travel on Travel Permits instead of International passports.
Earlier, before the introduction of the bus, people from Kashmir valley had to travel to New Delhi or Wagah border to cross over to the other side.(UNI)