150 PoK people to cross over LoC point by next week

Amid growing demand for allowing members of divided families across the Line of Control to meet, over 150 Pakistan-occupied Kashmir residents are likely to enter Jammu and Kashmir via the Chakhan-da-Bagh post on the LoC next week.

"Decks have been cleared for allowing over 150 PoK residents, who have relations mostly in Poonch district, into Chakhan-da-Bagh relief camp via the first LoC point, possibly next week," a senior official said on Monday. Authorities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have received over 2,300 applications from Rawalakote, Bagh, Mirpur and Muzaffarabad seeking permission to go to Jammu and Kashmir via the crossing point, a Pakistani official said.

Of these, over 2,000 have already been forwarded to India, he said, adding that more and more applications were coming. "We expect that by next week, over 150 people from PoK will cross and meet their relatives," he said.

A J&K official said a full-fledged exercise is on to locate their relatives and provide both sides dates for the meeting. However, there are no applications from Jammu division seeking permission to cross over to PoK, he said, adding "we are also waiting for the response."

• White flags at LoC

Four big tents have been set-up at Chakhan-da-Bagh along with preparations for making Identity-cards of PoK residents. A 100-bed surgical ward for the injured from the PoK has been established at Kahdi area, a 10-bed emergency hospital at Gulpur forward post along with relief camps at Gulpur and Sant Bahadur Gurdawara Campus at Karma along the LoC in Poonch district, the state official said.

Situated near a dense forest belt, Chakhan-da-Bagh is the last village in Poonch before the PoK village of Tetrinote. A rivulet divides the two villages. The post is nine kilometres from Poonch town and to reach it, one has to go via Ajote, Gulpur and Khari, the villages that have suffered extensive damage in the October 8 earthquake.

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