Pakistani and Indian officials began two-day talks Tuesday on commencement of a bus service between Lahore and Amritsar, officials said. "The talks focused on technical modalities for the commencement of the service between Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore and Amritsar city in the Indian state of Punjab," Sameena Waqar, a spokesperson for the communications ministry told DPA. This will be the third bus service connecting Pakistani and Indian cities. The two countries already have the service on Lahore-Delhi and Muzaffarabad-Srinagar routes. The service between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar, the capitals of Pakistani- and Indian-administered Kashmir, began early last month, as part of the efforts aimed to build mutual trust and carry forward the ongoing dialogue process between the two countries. Islamabad and New Delhi had decided to start the Lahore-Amritsar bus service during Indian External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh's visit to Pakistan last February. "The two delegations have decided in principle to start the service as soon as possible," Waqar said, adding that the dates and other technical and logistical details may be finalized Wednesday. She said that modalities will be almost the same of Lahore-Delhi bus service.
