In response to Pakistan’s decision to suspend bus service to India in the wake of India revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s separate status, Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has on Monday announced the cancellation of the Delhi to Lahore bus service from its end.
A Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus was scheduled to leave for Lahore on Monday at 6 am. However, it did not leave due to Pakistan’s decision to suspend the bus service, an official said.
“Consequent to Pakistan’s decision to suspend the Delhi-Lahore bus service, DTC is not able to send bus (from Delhi to Lahore) from August 12,” said a statement from DTC.
This decision came after Pakistan NSA had decided to suspend the bus service to India from Monday. On Saturday, a Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) bus made its way from Amritsar to Lahore for the last time. The decision to scrap was announced Friday evening.
The bus service was first started in February 1999. It was suspended after the 2001 Parliament attack and restarted in July 2003. Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had travelled on the historic inaugural run on 19 February 1999 from Delhi to Lahore.
Moreover, the Indian Railways had also confirmed on Sunday that the Samjhauta Express running at its end of the international border will stand cancelled. This decision came in days after Pakistan suspended services on its side.
“Consequent to Pakistan’s decision to cancel Samjhauta Express 14607/14608 running between Lahore and Atari, the link express train number 14001/14002 running between Delhi and Atari also stands cancelled (sic),” Deepak Kumar, Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway, said.
Islamabad had on Thursday announced it was suspending the bi-weekly Samjhauta train service connecting Lahore and Delhi as part of downgrading of diplomatic ties with India in response to the full integration of Jammu & Kashmir into India
Spooked by the audacious decision taken by the Indian government to repeal the contentious Article 370 and bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan has taken several hasty and ineffectual decisions which would ultimately cost the parody nation dearly.
Not being able to digest the shock, the Pakistan Rangers at the Attari-Wagah border today, declined to receive sweets and exchange greetings with BSF to mark the religious occasion of Eid, which has been a long drawn traditional bonhomie between Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers, border guarding forces of India and Pakistan respectively.
