‘We are ambassadors of peace’

Another passenger, Zaheer Ahmad Bhatti said: ‘‘I am travelling to meet my uncle in Mirpur and hope to act as an ambassador of peace on behalf of the country’s Muslim community’’. Bhatti, who lost his mother Saifa Begum in a militant attack in Rajouri in 2004, said, ‘‘I am a victim of violence along with thousands of people in Kashmir. I will go to PoK and advocate an end to violence in all forms.’’ Bhatti said, ‘‘How can a brother aid a terrorist to kill another brother on the other side of the LoC?’’ His uncles Mohammad Ishaq, a transporter, and Ishan-ul-Haq, a former director general of the Education Department in PoK, had moved to Mirpur during Partition.

A total of 30 passengers travelled to Rawalkote on the second bus service linking the two divided parts of Kashmir. ‘‘Gun is no solution to any problem. Peace talks alone can resolve the Kashmir problem. Steps like better contacts between divided Kashmiri families, the opening of meeting points on the LoC and the start of trade is giving us hope,’’ said Bhatti, who runs a handicrafts business in Jammu.

Like Bhatti, Shamim Moghal of Gabhuta village in Mendhar tehsil, prayed for an end to violence as she set off to meet her father and brothers in PoK.

‘‘I will be meeting them after 18 years. I travelled to Bagh in PoK to meet my family in 1988. Militancy has kept me away from them since then. I am very happy to be travelling in this bus today,’’ she said.

Khatija and her family were anxiously waiting for their kin from PoK, including mother Rasheed Begum and her brothers from Hajro village near Rawalkote.

Many other passengers on bus, including Mohammad Shah and Sarwa Begum of Gulpur village, Sattar Mohammad and Abdul Hamid of Dhangri, Fareeda Begum of Poonch and Naseem Akhtar of Khanetar, said they hoped the service would help bring down walls of mistrust and hatred.

Amar Singh Josh, however, was a little upset that he could not travel on the first bus to Rawalkote to bring some soil from his ancestral home there.‘‘I could not board the bus today as my permit was not cleared. But I hope to travel in the next bus. This will help me fulfil my wish of visiting my ancestral home before I die,” he said.

Another step forward

SRINAGAR: Political leaders in J-K have welcomed the Poonch-Rawalkote bus service. ‘‘It is another step towards friendly ties,’’ said Deputy CM and senior PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Beig. In due course of time, he added, the road would serve as a trade link. Former minister and MLA Ghulam Hassan Mir said, ‘‘The two countries are coming closer and the benefits are trickling down to Kashmir.’’ Mir sought the starting of the Kargil-Skardu bus service soon, ‘‘so that the first phase of linking people of the three regions of J-K with their brethren on the other side of LoC will be complete’’.