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Pakistan Ministry opposes train service from Amritsar

The issue has been referred back to the Cabinet for discussion

Islamabad: Pakistan's Interior Ministry has opposed the launch of a train service from Amritsar to Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak located in the country's Punjab province.

"The Ministry neither supports the train service between Amritsar and Nankana Sahib, nor does it favour the extension of the route of the Samjhauta Express up to Nankana Sahib, presently running between Lahore and Attari," Daily Times quoted an Interior Ministry official as saying in response to a letter sent by the Pakistan Railways Ministry.

The letter sought the Interior Ministry's remarks on the proposed train service between the two cities of the divided Punjab in addition to the Amritsar-Nankana Sahib and Amritsar-Lahore bus services.

The federal Cabinet, in its meeting last year, had directed the Railways Ministry to explore the possibility of launching a service between Amritsar and Nankana Sahib and submit a summary to the Prime Minister's Secretariat for approval.

The Railways Ministry, after examining the Cabinet proposal, concluded that instead of launching a new service, the existing route of the Samjhauta Express should be extended.

For a new train service, both countries are bound to revise the existing agreement, officials said.

"Commercially-viable"

The Railways Ministry termed the extension of the Samjhauta Express route as "commercially-viable" but it needed clearance from the Ministries and departments concerned, including the Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, Commerce and the Central Board of Revenue.

Except the Interior Ministry, the other departments concerned accorded their consent to the proposal without raising any objection. "However, the case has been referred back to the Cabinet for discussion," the official said. The Amritsar-Nankana bus service was launched between the two cities of the divided Punjab early this year. Besides, both countries have three other bus services running between Lahore and Amritsar, Lahore and Delhi and Muzaffarabad and Srinagar.

The Muzaffarabad-Srinagar service was suspended last year. . Pakistan and India had also launched the Thar Express from Khokhrapar, Pakistan, to Munabao last year, but it was suspended after the composite dialogue process was halted. - PTI

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