Militants warn Kashmiris to shun bus service
Pakistan Times Kashmir Desk

SRINAGAR: Militants on Wednesday warned Kashmiris to shun a bus service between the two zones of the Himalayan State of Jammu & Kashmir scheduled to start on April-7, describing the vehicle as a "coffin".

Four guerrilla groups said in a joint statement that those planning to ride the bus would face the consequences of being branded "traitors" by anti-Indian militants.

"We humbly request persons selected to travel on the first and second bus to Muzaffarabad not to enter the coffin but if they do, they will find their names in the list of traitors," the groups said in the statement faxed to journalists in India held-Srinagar.

The statement, issued by the al-Nasireen, Save Kashmir Movement, Farzandan-e-Millat and al-Arifeen groups, was accompanied by the list of 40 people, complete with residential addresses, selected to travel on the maiden service.

They also called for a general strike in held Kashmir on April-7.

And in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir, a group demonstrated against a permit system for the Kashmir bus. "The permit system is wrong," JKLF leader Zahid Shaikh told dozens of party workers.

Pakistan, India return passenger lists

And a report from Kaman Post says that officials from India and Pakistan on Wednesday returned lists they had swapped a week ago of passengers selected to ride the first buses between the two zones of Kashmir in almost 60 years.

"We have exchanged lists of confirmed passengers on both sides," said Indian army’s Maj Sebastian, after meeting at Kaman border post. "We were given a list of 40 people (last week)," said Pakistani official Liaquat Hussain, deputy commissioner of Muzaffarabad. "We have verified the names of some 29 people."●