NEW DELHI, Oct 1: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will flag off the first bus from Amritsar to Lahore early November, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Saturday.

Talking to newsmen after a ceremony here, Chief Minister of Indian Punjab however, did not specify the date for the start of the bus service. The bus service is seen as an important step forward in the on-going peace process between India and Pakistan.

The two countries reached an agreement on Wednesday to launch a weekly bus service between Amritsar and Lahore to beef up people-to-people contact. A trial run of the bus service will take place in the second half of October.

The two countries had also discussed draft agreement and technical modalities for Nankana Sahib-Amritsar bus service.—APP