ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India on Wednesday agreed to start the Amritsar-Lahore bus service in the next two months and agreed "in principle" to run another bus service from Amritsar to Nankanasahib in Pakistan, the birthplace of Guru Nanak.

At the end of two-day official-level talks a joint statement said two meetings would be held in New Delhi to discuss the technical details on the Amritsar-Lahore bus and another on the modalities of the Amritsar-Nankanasahib service.

On the Amritsar-Lahore bus service, the statement said, "the two sides discussed the modalities for operationalisation of the bus service, including the designated route, bus terminals, facilities for the bus crew, modalities of visa arrangements and a Protocol and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)."

The Amritsar-Lahore bus would be on a weekly basis. Depending on the traffic, the frequency of the service could be increased. The fare in Indian rupees would be 750 and 900 in Pakistani rupees one way. It appeared the Pakistan side was not keen on an early start of the Nankanasahib-Lahore bus as it would like India to facilitate travel of its citizens to a similar pilgrimage centre in India. Any delay in starting the Nankanasahib service is bound to disappoint the people of Punjab. Punjab Chief Minister Amarendra Singh has been lobbying for a bus service to Nanakanasahib as thousands of Sikh pilgrims visit the place every year. Nankana Sahib, which is about 25 km from Lahore, is the second most sacred shrine for the Sikh community after the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

At a joint press conference, Alok Rawat, Joint Secretary of Road Transport and Highways, who headed the Indian delegation and his Pakistani counterpart, Muhammad Abbas, said the Lahore-Amritsar bus service would commence after the next round of talks. Mr. Rawat said one more round of talks was necessary to enable state-run bus transport corporations on both sides to get the buses ready.

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