3 Indian points on LOC "operational", Pakistan stops setting up camps

Jammu & Kashmir -- India has confirmed three border points on the LoC, Teetwal in Tangdhar, Aman Setu in Uri sector and Chakan Da Bagh in Poonch were now "operational" for aid to quake affected people of POK, while Pakistan stopped setting up similar camps on the its side.

Informing that there were not adequate number of people available to take advantage of the relief offer yet, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that whosoever was in a position to come across would receive medical treatment and relief material.

Talking to newsmen on the sidelines of the 24th Coast Guard Commanders meeting in New Delhi, he informed that official from both countries were meeting in Islamabad on 29^th October to discuss modalities of opening points along the LOC for relief.

Rebutting reports that of differences between New Delhi and Islamabad over the setting up of these relief points on the LOC, Mukherjee said the points had been erected at sites after consultations between the two Foreign offices.

He asserted that the Director General of Military operations of the two sides had telephonic talks on Sunday on the issue.

On whether India would help in reconstruction activities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Minister said while New Delhi was prepared for this, full modalities of these could be worked out at the forthcoming meeting of donor nations in Geneva.

However, the Defence Minister made it clear that the reconstruction activity if any, would be confined to civilian sector and not for any damaged Pakistani military infrastructure.

Meanwhile, according to top army sources in Poonch, contrary to Indian's operational border camps for providing medical aid to the divided families on forward posts along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan stopped such work on their side earlier in the day.

Sources informed that Pak army, which were engaged in the setting up of such camps at Kanch post in Tetrinote belt of their side, stopped the work and also uprooted the tents and other things and took them back.

The commencement of operations have had to be stopped as the joint relief and rescue operations along LoC and meeting of divided families would now be decided on 29^th October at External Affairs Ministry level.

The Indian army has completed a three-kilometer road stretch linking Chakan-da-bagh along LoC with Tetrinote forward village in Pakistan occupied Kashmir in just 36 hours for the purpose.