Dateline Kashmir:2005 a wrap up

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Even though the resolution of the Kashmir issue remains distant,the year 2005 will be remembered for several important events in the history of India, Pakistan and Kashmir on both sides of the border. Among other things, 2005 saw the re-opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service,the resumption of dialogue between the Centre and the Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and the intensification of peace talks and opening of trade ties between Pakistan and India. Here is a broad look at how the year panned out. Early 2005 saw the surprising announcement of the re-opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service nearly six decades after its closure. This turned Uri, the last town on the Indian side of a LoC, into a city bustling with business activity. The fact that militants torched the famed Tourist Reception Centre building just a day before the bus launch did not delay its....