Trial bus arrives in Amritsar

Drummers and dancers greeted a Pakistani bus as it crossed into India on Tuesday in the latest step in a slow-moving peace process to establish stronger transport links between the nuclear rivals.
The bus, to ply between Lahore and Amritsar, was on a trial run and carried nine people, including Pakistani tourism officials.
People threw marigold petals on the green and white bus, which had 'Dosti' and the flags of both the countries painted on it.
A police band beat drums while Punjabi folk artists performed a traditional dance as they escorted it to the Wagah customs office in a test run which followed one by an Indian bus in the opposite direction on Sunday.
OUR LAHORE CORRESPONDENT ADDS: Earlier, the bus left the provincial metropolis for Amritsar with eight officials and technical experts of concerned departments on board, which would initially operate once a week between the two cities.
Among the delegates included Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Managing Director Hashim Khan, Punjab Tourism Secretary Hassan Nawaz Tarar and Lahore DCO Khalid Sultan. While appreciating the new initiative, Hashim Khan told newsmen this bus service would facilitate people of both Punjabs to visit either side of the border. He said proposed dates for regular service between the two cities were December 23 for Lahore and December 27 from Amritsar.
"In this connection, a two-day meeting of technical experts of both the countries would be held on December 20 to finalise dates and it would also discuss the possibility of Nankana Sahib-Amritsar bus service for the facilitation of Sikh Yatrees," he added.
He said efforts were being made for liberalisation of Indo-Pak visa policy and setting up of visa consulates in Lahore and Amritsar.
Shahid Iqbal of the Communications Ministry told newsmen they were in the process of finalising the infrastructure for Nankana Sahib-Amritsar bus service. "The Islamabad meeting would also consider Wagah to Sheikhupura, Jaslani Morr routes for Nankana Sahib-Amritsar bus service," he added.
Meanwhile, Lahore-Amritsar bus service would be the third bus service between Pakistan and India after Delhi-Lahore and Srinagar-Muzaffarabad, which started in July 2003 and April 2005, respectively.