Chandigarh, October 11
Following the massive destruction caused by the earthquake in Pakistan
on Saturday, the Amritsar-Lahore bus service, scheduled to start from
November 9, stands postponed, sources in the Punjab Government said
today.
A fresh date for the bus service would be announced after consultations with Pakistan, they said, adding that it could take up to six months for things to normalise.
A decision to postpone the bus service and the send-off ceremony has been taken in view of the national calamity in Pakistan where more than 40,000 persons were feared dead.
Incidentally, the bus service would run between the Youth Hostel at Amritsar and Gulberg — an upmarket locality in Lahore.
The Indian bus was scheduled to go to Pakistan every Tuesday and come back on Wednesday while the Pakistani bus was scheduled to cross over to India on Friday and depart on Saturday, thus providing two connections every week.
India would be using a Volvo bus which was air- conditioned and had all deluxe facilities. The trial run of the bus service scheduled for October 15 had also been deferred, sources informed.
It may be recollected that installation of "Palki Sahib" at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan would also be put off.
Incidentally, the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, had faxed a letter to the Delhi Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President, Mr Paramjit Singh Sarna, to postpone the programme by a few weeks in the wake of the quake.
Earlier the programme was scheduled to be held from October 23 to 25.
A decision regarding the schedule of the Indo-Pakistan Punjab Games between Indian Punjab and Pakistani Punjab was yet to be taken, sources said.
The games were scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in the last week of December. In all likelihood, the games would be held on schedule, sources hoped.
