Srinagar, March 5 (IANS) The scheduled run of the weekly cross-border bus between Pakistan and India in Jammu and Kashmir was cancelled Thursday on Islamabad’s request.
“On the request of Pakistani authorities, the Karwan-e-Aman bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarbad (capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir) did not ply today (Thursday),” an official spokesman said in a statement.
The cancellation of the peace bus comes two days after terrorists attacked Sri Lankan crickters in Lahore Tuesday. Six players and their British coach were injured in the attack that also left eight people dead.
The trans-Line of Control (LoC) bus service between the two parts of divided Kashmir runs every Thursday and the passengers from two sides of the de facto border cross over at the Aman Setu bridge, in north Kashmir Baramulla district.
“The Pakistani authorities had informed the army last evening that due to some administrative problem, they would not be able to send the bus or receive passengers from this side March 5,” the spokesman said in the statement.
“The bus will now run on next Thursday,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, in view of the inconvenience caused to the passengers who had to travel from Srinagar to Muzaffarabad, the state government has brought the matter into the notice of the external affairs ministry in Delhi to further take it up with the Pakistani counterparts, the official said.