NEW DELHI, May 4 (UPI) -- India and Pakistan have agreed to begin the Poonch-Rawalkot bus service on June 19 and trade across the border from mid-July.
The procedures, documentation and modalities for this latest bus will be the same as for the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, The Hindu newspaper said Thursday, adding that initially, the service will operate fortnightly.
"Both sides agreed to start the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad truck service to facilitate cross-border trade in the first half of July this year. The two sides exchanged indicative lists of goods for trade. It was agreed that the delegations from either side of the border would undertake visits at the earliest to discuss various aspects of trade," said a statement issued after the official-level meeting between India and Pakistan.
An Indian Foreign Ministry statement said the delegations reviewed the operation of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and of the five crossing points on the border. "Both sides agreed to expedite clearances of applications."
They also discussed the modalities of opening more meeting points along the border, as had been previously agreed.
A Pakistani official described the meeting as successful.
"In fact," he said, "the agenda items -- such as beginning the second cross-border bus service and truck trade -- were already agreed upon and reflected in the joint statement issued by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in April last year."
