M A I N   N E W S

Sainiks stone Lahore bus
From Our Correspondent and UNI

PHILLAUR, March 4 — About 100 activists of the Punjab Shiv Sena led by its president Surinder Dogra and secretary Pawan Parbhakar today forcibly stopped the Lahore-bound Pakistan Tourism Bus at 11.50 am on the G.T. Road near Chachrari village, 6 km from here, to protest against abetting of transborder terrorism by Pakistan. Stones were also pelted at the bus breaking a windowpane but nobody was injured in the process.

The irate Shiv Sainiks burnt an effigy of Gen Musharaf, Pakistani military ruler, and made bonfire of the Pakistani flag in protest against the bomb blast in the Jammu-Delhi bus near Sirhind yesterday and other ISI backed terrorist activities to destabilise India.

Mr Isfaq Khan, liaison officer of the Pakistan bus, said 34 passengers, including 22 Pakistanis, 11 Indians and one British were in the bus coming back from New Delhi to Lahore.

The Pakistan tourism bus was being escorted by a pilot vehicle. The Shiv Sainiks had been threatening to stop the bus for the last so many months and they chose Shivratri to execute their plan.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sainiks leaders threatened to launch a statewide agitation if rail and bus services between India and Pakistan were not stopped by March 31.

The bus moved out within 10 minutes to Phagwara, where it had a stopover of 40 minutes in front of the office of the District Superintendent of Police. The bus was provided with further security. The bus later resumed its trip.

Later in the day, the police arrested Punjab Shiv Sena state president Surinder Dogra along with two party activists in this connection.

Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Yadav, while confirming the arrest, said three security guards of the Sena leader had also been arrested.

Earlier, the Goraya police had registered a case of rioting, wrongful confinement, mischief causing damage, criminal intimidation and obstructing a public servant from performing his duty under Sections 427, 342, 186, 506 and 148/149 of the IPC.

NEW DELHI (TNS): The External Affairs Ministry today said the attack on Pakistani bus during its Delhi-Lahore run today in the Kapurthala district of Punjab was the handiwork of a group of miscreants and the local police has responded quickly to disperse them.

A ministry release said no passengers were hurt in the demonstration nor was there any major damage to the bus, except for one broken glass.

It said the Delhi-Lahore bus service has become a valued transport link between India and Pakistan and it symbolises India’s constant endeavour to promote people to people contacts between the two countries.

“We wish the service to continue and will provide necessary security to the bus and its passengers”, it added.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Transport Minister, Mr Parvez Hashmi, whose department operates the Indian end of the Delhi-Lahore bus service, today said senior officials of the Delhi Transport Corporation were in touch with Punjab Government transport officials and had told the state authorities to provide increased security cover to the service.

Condemning the attack on the bus, Mr Hashmi said the DTC was interested in continuing with the service. However, when asked if the service would be halted in view of the attack, he said it was for the Centre to take a decision on the matter. “We will do whatever the Centre says”, he said.