Srinagar:  The Karvan-e-Aman bus, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan Administered   Kashmir (PaK) on Monday was suspended for security reasons following strike called by separatists against any move to weaken the Article 35 A.

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear a number of writ petitions challenging Article 35 A, which empowers the Jammu and Kashmir state’s legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state.

The Article provides special rights and privileges to the permanent residents.

We have received an advisory late Sunday night to suspend the weekly Cross-Line of Control (LoC) bus, official sources said  on Monday morning.

They said the bus was suspended for security reasons in view of the prevailing situation. Similarly authorities on other side of the border were also informed about the decision, they added.

The passengers, who were scheduled to travel in the bus from here to POK have also been informed and they will be adjusted next week, sources said.

The weekly bus, one of the major Confidence Building Measure (CBM) taken by India and Pakistan, was introduced on April 7, 2005 to allow families divided in 1947 due to partition to meet each other.