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Pakistan-India likely to resume bus service from July
Islamabad, June 12: The long suspended bus service between Pakistan and India could resume as early as July 1, a Pakistani tourism official said today.
Islamabad, June 12: The long suspended bus service between Pakistan and India could resume as early as July 1, a Pakistani tourism official said today.
Azfar Shafqat is heading a three-man delegation of tourism ministry officials heading to India next week to finalise fares and other details with the Indian authorities.
"We are hopeful that the bus service will start plying in the first week of July, maybe from the first of the month," Shafqat said. Indian officials have confirmed they will meet the Pakistani delegation on June 19 and 20.
The revival of the bus service is part of confidence building measures between India and Pakistan in the wake of recent peace initiatives between the two countries.
The highly popular service, started in 1999, between Lahore and New Delhi was suspended in January last year.
Officials said that restoration of air and train links were likely to follow but no date has been set.
The bus service was inaugurated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as he travelled on the first bus to Lahore in February 1999 to hold summit-level talks with then-Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Bureau Report
"We are hopeful that the bus service will start plying in the first week of July, maybe from the first of the month," Shafqat said. Indian officials have confirmed they will meet the Pakistani delegation on June 19 and 20.
The revival of the bus service is part of confidence building measures between India and Pakistan in the wake of recent peace initiatives between the two countries.
The highly popular service, started in 1999, between Lahore and New Delhi was suspended in January last year.
Officials said that restoration of air and train links were likely to follow but no date has been set.
The bus service was inaugurated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as he travelled on the first bus to Lahore in February 1999 to hold summit-level talks with then-Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Bureau Report