With cricket lovers not putting up enough on board, Pakistan cancelled the four special trains it had announced between Attari and Chandigar...
Written by BHAVNA VIJ AURORA
New Delhi |
2 min read
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With cricket lovers not putting up enough on board, Pakistan cancelled the four special trains it had announced between Attari and Chandigarh for the Indo-Pak cricket series.
As Indian Railway authorities were geared up to receive cricket fans from across the border, news came that the trains were cancelled due to ‘‘technical reasons’’. The Pakistani authorities did not go into specifics.
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The Indian Railways, on their part, had made arrangements for a train to carry fans from Pakistan to Chandigarh to watch the match at Mohali. Two of the special trains were expected yesterday and the other two today. Punjab Cricket Association had even arranged for special buses to carry the passengers to Mohali.
‘‘Initially, we thought there may have been some derailment on the track or some other such problem, but the Samjhauta Express — which runs on the same track — came in as per schedule today. So the track and route are fine,’’ said an official at Rail Bhawan. Though the railway spokesman insisted they were not given any other reason by Pakistani authorities sources said the cancellation had to do with poor response. ‘‘It would not have been feasible for Pakistan railways to run four trains in the absence of the expected response from cricket lovers. In fact, even the Samjhauta Express did not have many cricket fans travelling on it. It were the usual petty traders and separated families,’’ he added.
MEANWHILE
Visitors in search of roots • The hundreds of Pakistanis who landed in Chandigarh on Sunday night are here for more than just the game. Within hours of arrival, they queued up at the UT Secretariat and Estate Office, seeking permission to visit their birthplaces and shrines in neighbouring states. Tayab Zulfiqar, a banker in Rawalpindi, met the Deputy Commissioner for permission to go to Delhi to return to his ancestral house. Kaishif Saleem, a software engineer from Lahore, wanted to return to where he was born — Nawanshahr in Punjab. The officials could not help — only the MEA can grant permission and lift travel curbs. As of now, visitors can travel upto Panchkula, Chandigarh, Patiala, Ambala and Attari.
Diplomats of the bazaar • Markets in the city spruced up to receive their new visitors. Arvind Jain, president of the Commercial Tenants Association, said the Sector 22-D market had been spruced up especially for attract visitors from across the border. ‘‘Cricket match to hama longo ke liye bahana hai, hum log to ek dusre ko samajhne ke liye aaye hain,’’ said Mohd Ashfaq, a councillor of the Gujranwala Municipal Corporation, Pakistan, who visited the market. The favoured purchases — silver, artificial ornaments and silk. —ENS
