On the 9th of August, the Pakistan Government suspended the Lahore-Delhi friendship bus service.
The friendship bus service started in February 1999, which was suspended for 2 years after a Parliament attack in 2001. It again started in 2003, but now the Pakistan Government suspended the bus services due to the Jammu and Kashmir issue.
The decision of the Pakistan Government came after the Government of India (GoI) announced the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
A Pakistan Minister said the decision to suspend the bus service was taken during the National Security Meeting (NSM) chaired by Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
The NSM was held on the 7th of August in Islamabad, Pakistan. During the meeting, the officials of Pakistan took few decisions and suspended bilateral trade and downgraded diplomatic relations with India.
The Pakistan Government also closed an airspace corridor, suspended the Samjhauta Express and Thar Express trains. Now, they suspended the bus service.
The Lahore to Delhi bus service was operated from Ambedkar Stadium terminal near Delhi Gate. The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses run on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, whereas the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) buses run every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Delhi to Lahore.
While returning, the DTC buses run every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, whereas the PTDC buses on every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Clarifying the reason behind the suspension of the bus service, an official of the Pakistan Government said, “Pakistan has suspended the Lahore-Delhi friendship bus service, after suspending two cross-border trains, in the wake of India’s decision regarding Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcation of the State into two UTs.”
The Pakistan Government deemed the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir ‘illegal’ and ‘unilateral.’
Stay tuned for further updates.
