India and Pakistan today moved another inch closer to peace when two more buses wound their way across the border, with 11 passengers from Muzaffarabad and 26 from Srinagar on board.It was a moment to remember for Parveen Akthar, who had left her home in Mendhar, Jammu, with her grandmother 40 years ago when she was all of eight years old. Akhtar, who boarded the bus in Muzaffarabad with her 10-year-old daughter Sania, says: ‘‘How can I describe the pain I’ve suffered for 40 years after being separated from my parents and three brothers?’’A short distance away, Mohammad Abdullah Bhat, is visibly relaxed. Bhat, a known face now for his frequent media interactions where he repeatedly said he would ride the inaugural bus despite militant threats, says he has no regrets about making the journey. ‘‘The best part of our 15-day stay was our first day in Muzaffarabad. The moment our grandchildren saw us, they recognised us and came rushing to hug us. We failed to recognise them but they didn’t. It was the greatest ever joy we experienced in our lives,’’ he adds.Bhat says that he wants to thank Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for taking such a bold step in starting the bus service.Unlike the excitement that marked the inaugural service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, there was no fanfare today when the two buses rolled across the border. And, with the militant threats looming in the corner, many of the passengers decided against boarding the bus in the last minute. Deputy Commissioner of Muzaffarabad Chaudhry Liaquat Hussain announced that only 11 passengers out of 30 turned up to make the journey to the Valley, but quickly cited ‘‘domestic preoccupations’’ as the reason.‘‘We had a list of 47 passengers initially. But many called to say they wanted to delay their journey to Srinagar as their children had to appear in the examinations. Apart from this, many see the prospect of roads opening in Poonch sector very bright and thus opted out,’’ Hussain added.The 11 passengers were joined by 14 others, who had taken the first bus from Srinagar on April 7 and who were returning to the Valley after a fortnight-long stay in Muzaffarabad.
