India-Kashmir-LoC Trade
A high-level central team has arrived in Srinagar in connection with starting weekly bus and truck services between two divided parts of Kashmir.

Work on widening and macadamizing the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway has been accelerated.

Reports said that the meeting between the Indian and Pakistani foreign secretaries in New Delhi on July 21 has agreed to run the "caravan of peace" bus service between the two parts of Kashmir on a weekly rather than on a fortnightly basis, and given the go ahead for starting trade on the cross-LoC route.

Reliable sources said that both countries were examining technical aspects about operating weekly bus and truck services on the highway.

As part of the process, a commissioner in the union home ministry, K. Nathan, led a high-level team on a tour of various of the frontier township of Uri.

Top customs, immigration and police officers accompanied the team.

The team flew by helicopter to Uri this afternoon, and visited the tourist reception centre at Salamabad and the crossing point on the Kaman Bridge to review the ground situation.

The team is expected to draft a report about providing the infrastructure for crossing of passengers and goods, which it will forward to the central government.

According to sources, all formalities about checking, customs, and immigration will be completed at Salamabad rather than at the Kaman Bridge after the weekly bus and truck service is kicked off.

Meanwhile, reports from Uri say that extensive work on widening and repair of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Highway was on full swing following the announcement of running a weekly bus and truck service on the route.

Hundreds of BEACON personnel are engaged in repairing and macadamizing the road, and the hillsides are being cut at various points to widen the road.

Most of these activities are centered on the Uri-Kaman Bridge stretch.