MUZAFFARABAD: All but one of the 76 truck drivers who had been stuck on opposite sides of the Line of Control (LoC) since Jan 17 following a row over alleged drug trafficking from Azad Kashmir returned to their respective sides along with their vehicles on Wednesday, officials said.
The crossings took place between 5:45 pm and 7:15 pm through the Chakothi-Uri point under a decision taken by the foreign ministries of India and Pakistan, they added.
On Jan 17, 49 trucks from AJK and 27 from India-held Kashmir ferried goods to opposite directions. However, after India alleged that it had seized 114 packets of heroin from one of the consignments and arrested the driver concerned, Mohammad Shafique, all 76 trucks got stuck on opposite sides.
Due to the standoff, not only trade but travel from both crossing points also came to a halt. The trans-LoC travel recommenced on Feb 3, but deadlock on trade could not end because AJK authorities wanted the return of all 49 drivers, including Mr Shafique, who they believed was guiltless.
On Saturday, family members and other relatives of the detained driver also held a demonstration at the press club, calling for his release and threatening to widen their protest otherwise.
However, on Wednesday the Foreign Office in Islamabad not only accepted the return of ‘all minus one drivers’ but also agreed to resume cross-LoC trade.
The AJK Travel and Trade Authority’s director general, retired Brigadier Mohammad Ismail, told Dawn that trade was likely to resume on Feb 18.
But before that the trade facilitation officers concerned would meet to discuss how to improve modalities and establish trust, he added.
“From traders to truck owners to drivers, everyone is scared following this incident and unless their confidence is restored it’s difficult to persuade them to do business.”
Asked if any decision had been taken for the release of the driver, Brig Ismail replied in the negative.
He claimed that India had told the FO that the driver was innocent, but since the matter was sub judice on their side, they could not set him free on their own.
He pointed out that the drivers were merely carriers of “sealed, scanned and certified” consignments from one terminal to the other under police escort.
“If any consignment contains a contraband item, it’s not the driver concerned, but someone else who is responsible for it. That individual needs to be unearthed and penalised,” he said.
He reiterated that Indian authorities had indulged in a pointless blame game.
Meanwhile, traders, truckers and relatives of the detained driver are said to have decided to stage a sit-in on Thursday to protest against his continued detention.