All set for another road to Pak

Amidst the feelgood generated by the ongoing cricket series, the Indo-Pak peace process has received a new boost with New Delhi prepared to ...

Amidst the feelgood generated by the ongoing cricket series, the Indo-Pak peace process has received a new boost with New Delhi prepared to start the proposed Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service from August 1.

A decision to this effect was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting on Tuesday. It was felt that three to four months time would be needed to set up the necessary infrastructure 8212; build roads, culverts and bridges as well as set up customs and immigration facilities.

However, the dates for the technical-level talks between the two countries have now been shifted from March 29-30 to April 8-9. Sources attributed the postponement to technical reasons.

The Indian delegation will be headed by a Joint Secretary from the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways and will include representatives from the Jammu and Kashmir Government. The delegation has already done its homework and is prepared to work out the agreement.

During the recently concluded technical-level talks in Islamabad, New Delhi had also proposed August 1 as the date for commencing the Munabao-Khokhrapar bus service.

But Pakistan had said it needed more time to work out the arrangements for customs and immigration and to put in place the necessary infrastructure. Both sides had then agreed to reconvene the meeting on a mutually acceptable date after Islamabad was ready with a time frame for starting the service.

The commencement of these two bus services were part of the Confidence Building Measures announced by External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha last October.

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Pakistan had responded positively to the proposed Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service but had suggested the use of UN-authorised travel documents 8212; a proposal which was shot down by India.

Pakistani officials have since been showing more keenness in starting the service and have maintained that the two countries could reach an understanding on the travel documents without complicating matters.