- News>
- India
India, Pak agree `in principle` to ply bus from July 1
New Delhi, June 20: India and Pakistan today agreed in principle to restart the Delhi-Lahore bus service from July one subject to availability of visa to the crew on both sides, even as the Pakistani side announced to settle dues of about Rs 20 lakh of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) within six days.
New Delhi, June 20: India and Pakistan today agreed in principle to restart the Delhi-Lahore bus service from July one subject to availability of visa to the crew on both sides, even as the Pakistani side announced to settle dues of about Rs 20 lakh of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) within six days.
After the second round of talks between officials of two countries here, leader of Indian delegation and DTC chairman A J S Sahney told reporters that "we are ready for July one and any day thereafter. It depends on how soon the crew on both sides get visa."
"The tentative date for restart of the service is July one," leader of the Pakistani delegation and deputy managing director of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Azfar Shafqat said rejecting media reports that his side was not ready for the date.
Pointing out that issuance of visa for crew of the buses and passengers was subject matter of other departments, both Sahney and Shafqat said the governments of the two sides had assured that it would be expedited.
They said booking had not yet started and would begin soon.
Shafqat said today's meeting focussed on settling of accounts and announced that a cheque for Rs 19,69,104 would be sent to DTC within six days.
The amount is the net of the total dues outstanding between the two sides since the service was snapped on December 31, 2001 following the terrorist attack on Indian Parliament.
While DTC's dues standing against PTDC were Rs 24,61,000, the former owed Rs 4,91,896 to PTDC.
A written statement was also issued stating that the talks had been held "successfully".
"All modalities have been worked out and dues settled," it said, adding the service would be restarted as soon as visas were available.
Two buses will ply from both ends on Tuesdays and Fridays with the same fares of Rs 800 on Indian side and Pakistani Rs 950 on the other side.
The external affairs ministry spokesman said yesterday that India was "ready" to resume the service by July one but for the specific date, New Delhi would wait for Pakistan to say when they can put their processes in place.
The two sides would be looking at processing the issues of immigration, customs and other logistical aspects, he said.
Nearly a month after India decided to resume the bus link and suggested July one as the possible date for relaunch, officials of the two sides met here for about an hour yesterday and announced that the two sides were ready "operationally and technically" to ply the buses "at the earliest".
Among the issues discussed yesterday were fares, security, facilities, frequency and settling of accounts.
Bureau Report
"The tentative date for restart of the service is July one," leader of the Pakistani delegation and deputy managing director of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Azfar Shafqat said rejecting media reports that his side was not ready for the date.
Pointing out that issuance of visa for crew of the buses and passengers was subject matter of other departments, both Sahney and Shafqat said the governments of the two sides had assured that it would be expedited.
They said booking had not yet started and would begin soon.
Shafqat said today's meeting focussed on settling of accounts and announced that a cheque for Rs 19,69,104 would be sent to DTC within six days.
The amount is the net of the total dues outstanding between the two sides since the service was snapped on December 31, 2001 following the terrorist attack on Indian Parliament.
While DTC's dues standing against PTDC were Rs 24,61,000, the former owed Rs 4,91,896 to PTDC.
A written statement was also issued stating that the talks had been held "successfully".
"All modalities have been worked out and dues settled," it said, adding the service would be restarted as soon as visas were available.
Two buses will ply from both ends on Tuesdays and Fridays with the same fares of Rs 800 on Indian side and Pakistani Rs 950 on the other side.
The external affairs ministry spokesman said yesterday that India was "ready" to resume the service by July one but for the specific date, New Delhi would wait for Pakistan to say when they can put their processes in place.
The two sides would be looking at processing the issues of immigration, customs and other logistical aspects, he said.
Nearly a month after India decided to resume the bus link and suggested July one as the possible date for relaunch, officials of the two sides met here for about an hour yesterday and announced that the two sides were ready "operationally and technically" to ply the buses "at the earliest".
Among the issues discussed yesterday were fares, security, facilities, frequency and settling of accounts.
Bureau Report