Lahore bus sets off for Amritsar
Bureau Report

LAHORE—The trial run of the Lahore-Amritsar bus service started here with eight officials and technical experts of concerned departments on board here Tuesday morning. The delegates included MD Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Hashim Khan, Punjab Tourism Secretary Hassan Nawaz Tarar, Federal Communication Ministry’s Director Shahid Iqbal, Lahore DCO Khalid Sultan, PTDC Islamabad Managers Anwar Sajid and Tayyab Nisar Mir, Incharge Lahore-Delhi Bus Service PTDC Punjab, Arshad Ali and the bus driver Muhammad Khalil. Talking to journalists prior to leaving for Amritsar from the PTDC bus terminal, Hashim Khan appreciated the new initiative and said the bus service would facilitate people of both Punjabs to visit each other. He said initially the bus service would operate between Lahore-Amritsar-Lahore once a week, while the proposed dates for regular service between the two cities are December 23 for Lahore-Amritsar, and December 27 for Amritsar-Lahore.
However, the technical level meeting to be held between Pakistan and India at Islamabad on December 20-21, would finalise the dates, besides discussing the viability of Nankana Sahib-Amritsar bus service, he added. Efforts are afoot for liberalisation of the visa policy between Pakistan and India, as well as establishing Visa Consulates in Lahore and Amritsar, he maintained.
Hashim Khan said the new bus service would connect Lahore and Amritsar, while the Nankana Sahib-Amritsar bus service would largely facilitate Sikh yatris on the pilgrimage to their holy city. Shahid Iqbal, Director Federal Communication Ministry, told reporters that infrastructure for Nankana Sahib-Amritsar bus service was being finalised. The Islamabad meeting would also consider Wagah to Sheikhupura, Jaslani Morr route for Nankana Sahib-Amritsar bus service.