'Karwan-e-Aman' rekindles hope of a new dawn in Indo-Pak relations

Even as the terrorist attack on an army camp at Uri in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir claimed the lives of 18 soldiers, further widening the existing gulf between India and Pakistan, 'Karwan-e-Aman', a bus service plying between Srinagar and Muzffarabad, the capital city of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), left Uri on Monday morning, rekindling hope for a new dawn in the troubled bilateral relationship.

The weekly bus service has been reuniting thousands of families divided by the Line of Control (LoC) after India and Pakistan agreed to allow state subjects from both sides to travel on travel permits instead of passports since April 7, 2005.

One of the travellers from PoK told ANI, "The situation is a bit bad, otherwise, I would have stayed here for a fortnight, but I now am going back."

When asked about the terrorist attack on the army camp, he said, "It's not good, because such things, whether that side or this side of the Line of Control (LoC), disrupts the peace process."

At least 18 soldiers lost their lives and over 20 others injured during the terror strike on an army camp close to the headquarters of the 12th Brigade at Uri in Baramulla district on Sunday.

Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh said the four terrorists, who attacked the military base in Uri, belonged to Pakistan's banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

Evidence of Pakistan's hand in the Uri attack, including GPS tracker movements that go back to starting point in Pakistan, Pashto literature, Pakistan Army marked arms will be given to Islamabad at the DGMO level, sources add.

India is set to raise Uri attack at the 71st UNGA and highlight Pakistan's involvement into the deadly terror strike.

Sources said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will strongly emphasise on Pakistan's involvement in the attack during her UNGA speech on September 26.

This development comes after the Prime Minister chaired a high-level meeting at his official 7, Race Course Road residence in New Delhi.

After giving an assurance of going after the perpetrators of the deadly Uri attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday gave the green signal to diplomatically isolate Pakistan at every international grouping.

Pakistan has flatly rejected New Delhi's claims of Islamabad's involvement in the Uri terror attack, stating it is the latter's traditional tendency to point fingers at the former whenever a terror attack takes place on Indian soil.

"Pointing fingers at Pakistan has become a traditional tendency of India after each terrorist attack," the Dawn quoted Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria, as saying.

"In the past many Indians were involved in the terrorist acts for which India had blamed Pakistan," he asserted.

Director General of Military operations , Lt. Ranbir Singh yesterday said that the four terrorists, who attacked the military base in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri, belonged to Pakistan's banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).