Bus to Lahore gets Cabinet go-ahead

NEW DELHI,ISLAMABAD, FEB 11: The Indo-Pak shuttle-bus diplomacy got another kickstart today with the Cabinet Committee on Security formal...

NEW DELHI,ISLAMABAD, FEB 11: The Indo-Pak shuttle-bus diplomacy got another kickstart today with the Cabinet Committee on Security formally clearing the Delhi-Lahore service. And Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif deciding to personally receive Prime Minister Vajpayee at the Wagah border.

After the Cabinet committee meeting, chaired by Union Home Minister L K Advani and attended by Defence Minister George Fernandes and Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, Cabinet Secretary Prabhat Kumar said the dates of the bus service would be worked out as soon as possible by the two sides.

The bus services, to be jointly operated by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), would cover 470 km of Indian territory (from Delhi to Wagah near Amritsar) and 50 km in Pakistan.

Though the finer details of Vajpayee’s Lahore trip are still being chalked outa possible date is February 20he is likely to reach Amritsar by air and from there board the bus. According to an MEA spokesman,the Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries, which were to be held in New Delhi from February 17 to 20, were being rescheduled in view of Vajpayee’s Lahore visit.

Sharif’s decision to receive Vajpayee was conveyed by Pakistan Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed to Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan G Parthasarthy this afternoon, the spokesman said.