Tuesday, October 18 2005 20:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: With increasing demand for opening of communication links across the border, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is planning to open Public Call Offices (PCO) at four places in Jammu and Kashmir with direct dialling facility to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"There are some technical difficulties in putting the system through. But probably by tomorrow, we should have at least three PCOs functional with direct dialling facility to PoK," Chief General manager of BSNL J&K Circle K C Jindal told PTI.

He said three PCOs will be set up at Srinagar, Uri and Jammu and BSNL was planning to set up another at Tangdhar as well.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Democratic Liberation Party Chairman Hashim Qureshi and several other leaders had called for restoration of direct dialling facility to Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the wake of the killer earthquake that devastated vast areas of PoK and the state.

Jindal said trunk call booking facility on BSNL's 186 service number was already available to subscribers. One can book calls to anywhere in the world, including Pakistan and PoK using this facility.

"We are trying to make people aware of this fact which, I believe is not well known so far," he said.