Taking forward their process of confidence-building, India and Pakistan on Wednesday agreed to launch the second bus link between two parts of divided Jammu and Kashmir next month and start a cross-LoC truck service in July.
The bus service between Poonch and Rawalakot in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir will be launched from June 19. This will be the second bus link across the LoC after the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad service launched on April 7 last year.
Initially, the Poonch-Rawalakot bus service will be operated on a fortnightly basis, a Joint Statement issued after the two-day official-level talks said.
The procedures, documentation and modalities for the Poonch-Rawalakot bus service will be the same as for the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, it said.
In the first half of July, the truck service will be started on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route, a move aimed at promoting trade relations between two parts of divided Jammu and Kashmir.
With regard to the truck service, the two sides exchanged indicative lists of goods for trade, the statement said.
The two countries decided that delegations of Chambers of Commerce from either side of the Line of Control will undertake visits to the other part at the earliest to discuss various aspects of the trade.
{{/usCountry}}The two countries decided that delegations of Chambers of Commerce from either side of the Line of Control will undertake visits to the other part at the earliest to discuss various aspects of the trade.
{{/usCountry}}Among the items likely to be traded are vegetables, handicrafts and Kashmiri shawls, sources said. (MORE)