PESHAWAR, March 15: A trial run of the Pakistan-Afghanistan friendship bus service was carried out on Wednesday, signalling resumption of bus links between the two neighbouring states after 27 years.

The first bus arrived here on Wednesday afternoon from Jalalabad and a return trial bus is expected to leave for Afghanistan along the same route on Friday.

Transport Secretary Noorul Haq said that a fully-fledged bus service between the two cities would be started next month.

The trial bus was given a rousing reception, along with the traditional Khattak dance, at Torkham on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The bus service between Peshawar and Kabul was suspended after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.

The bus carrying eight Afghan delegates and about 15 passengers, mostly Afghan transporters, arrived at noon at the Peshawar Press Club where the delegates were garlanded and welcomed with traditional music.

“The resumption of the bus service after 27 years is a good sign of friendship between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” said provincial Transport Minister Akhtar Nawaz Khan in his welcome speech.

“The bus service was stopped due to some problems but the successful trial run proves that gaps between Pakistan and Afghanistan can be bridged,” the minister said.

Mr Noorul Haq said that Kabul and Islamabad had agreed to start the service during President Karzai’s visit in March 2005.

Both the governments finally signed an agreement in February this year. It was decided that initially a bus service would be started between Peshawar and Jalalabad.

Mr Noorul Haq said the government was also planning to start a service between Quetta and Kandahar and another between Peshawar and Kabul.