December 4, 2003	Thursday	Shawwal 8, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 3: Pakistan will send a four-member delegation to New Delhi next week for technical-level talks with India on restoring passenger train service between the two countries, officials said on Wednesday.

The delegation headed by Mohammad Iqbal Khatri, additional general manager of Pakistan Railways, will leave on Dec 17.

India has proposed Dec 18-19 for talks to restore the suspended Samjhota Express between the two countries.

The technical discussions are expected to work out an agreement to revive the Samjhota Express that used to run between Amritsar and Lahore until India suspended travel links in December 2001.

Mr Iqbal Khatri said it was not yet clear whether talks would be held at New Delhi, Amritsar or any other place.

However, he added, a Pakistan Railways team would leave for India via Wagah on December 17 to hold talks with their Indian counterparts on Dec 18 and 19 as suggested by India.

He said during the meeting the two sides would discuss modalities for restoring the Samjhota Express service.

Asked if Pakistan Railways officials had any proposals regarding increase in train frequency or extending its route to other cities, he said: “We have received no formal instructions from Islamabad in this regard as yet.”

However, the official said Pakistan Railways had already proposed to India that if it agreed to extend Samjhota Express up to New Delhi instead of terminating it at Attari, the PR was ready to extend its route up to Hyderabad and even to Karachi.

Regarding preparations for running the Samjhota Express, he said arrangements in this regard were complete. Coaches, locomotive, track were in a ready position and Wagah station had been renovated.

He said with the bus service between the two countries already restored and air links being revived from January next, it was hoped that train service would also be restored before the Saarc summit.

Train, air and bus links were severed by India after an attack on its parliament on Dec 13, 2001.—AFP/APP