Pakistan and Afghanistan are unlikely to commence regular cross-border bus service from Saturday (April 15), it is learnt. Official sources told Business Recorder the bus service between Peshawar and Jalalabad would most probably be delayed for one week.
The neighbouring countries had agreed to establish road link between Pakistan's north-western city of Peshawar and Jalalabad - the capital of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province.
As tension is mounting at government levels, the authorities had initially started operating bus service between Peshawar and Jalalabad on trial basis from March 15 to enhance people-to-people contact. It was mutually agreed that the formal cross-border service would begin by April 15. However, sources said both sides were not yet ready to launch the regular service as per schedule.
Official sources in the Ministry of Communications said the confirmation from NWFP government was yet awaited to launch the bus service. "We have not been informed yet whether all the arrangements have been made like setting up bus terminals, completion of passengers' travel documents and meeting some other necessary formalities," they added.
"We can only proceed further when the provincial government gives us go-ahead signal. We will then ask Foreign Office to finalise the formal launching date with Afghan authorities," sources maintained. According to the agreed dates, first regular bus would reach Peshawar on April 15 while a bus from Peshawar would leave for Jalalabad on March 17. Initially, both sides had agreed to ply five buses each including public and private sector buses. The two countries will soon meet to discuss the modalities of starting another bus service between Quetta and Kandahar, which depends on the outcome of the Peshawar-Jalalabad route.
Pakistan is home to millions of Afghan refugees, while thousands of Pakistanis are also working in various parts of the war-ravaged country. Most of these workers and Afghans usually cross the Durand Line without visa or any other legal document. People of both the countries will not only avail this travel facility after a period of over 25 years but the move will also strengthen friendship and restore confidence.
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