Samjautha Express, which began its journey 25 years ago as a measure of goodwill between India and Pakistan, will come to a grinding halt with New Delhi deciding to stop the service in the wake of attack on Parliament. Security agencies had been concerned over the train service between Amritsar and Lahore with reports that it was facilitating entry of militants and counterfeit currency into the country.
The train, which will stop operating from January one, had been accused by the intelligence agencies as being a carrier for the ISI to pump in counterfeit currency to affect the country's economy. The decision to not only stop the train but also the Sada-e-Sarhad bus service between Delhi and Lahore was taken after the cabinet committee on security met which was haired by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Various intelligence agencies had been suggesting to the government that Samjautha train, which started from 1976, was being used by the Pakistan's ISI not only for smuggling of counterfeit currency through its carriers but also for infiltration of militants with fake identities. The issue had come for discussion in late 1999 after the Kargil crisis but no action had been taken at that time.
In 2000, the security agencies had recovered counterfeit currency in huge quantity besides drugs, which were smuggled from Afghanistan.
Sada-e-sarhad bus service, which was inaugurated by Vajpayee in February 1999, had also ran into rough weather as it was followed by Kargil intrusion. Bureau Report