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Third point along LoC opened for quake relief

Teetwal: Shaking hands on a bailey bridge that fleetingly become a bone of contention between the two countries, Indian and Pakistani Army officials on Saturday opened the third border meeting point along the Line of Control (LoC) to ferry relief material across till "all the quake-hit are rehabilitated."

Exchange of relief

"The exchange of relief material for the survivors will continue indefinitely. ... It will continue till all the people are rehabilitated," Kupwara Deputy Commissioner Abdul Majid Khanday told reporters here.

But even while villagers from Teetwal and Nauseri on either side of the Kishenganga river cheered them on, the Army men refused to cross the causeway. The relief material was carried by porters across the bridge.

The process began as scheduled at 11.30 a.m. after Lieutenant Imran Grom of Pakistan, who supervised the laying of the bridge, crossed it.

Cheered by villagers

Colonel Shahid of the 5 Punjab (Pakistan) and Commanding Officer of 12 Kumaon J. Nair shook hands, standing in the middle of the bridge amid loud cheers from those witnessing the opening of the relief point.

Indian Army officers were seen requesting their counterparts to come to this side and take the relief. However, they refused. — PTI

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