ISLAMABAD, 9 May 2004 — Pakistan and India are likely to drop the idea of starting a bus service between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar as diplomatic efforts aimed at removing differences on the issue have failed.
Despite the postponed of technical level talks between the countries on the bus service recently, both Islamabad and New Delhi have been insisting that minor irritants like scheduling are delaying the launching of the service.
However, government sources said that after unsuccessful attempts at resolving the question of travel documents, both governments have decided to put the issue on the back burner.
The sources said Islamabad had stuck to its stance of passengers traveling with UN documents, while New Delhi favored use of passports of the two countries for the purpose.
Another source said Islamabad’s refusal to issue visas to a transport minister and other officials from Indian- administered Kashmir led to the postponement of talks that were to be held on April 8 and 9. Pakistan believed granting them visas would amount to recognizing India’s claim to Kashmir.
The sources said any breakthrough on the issue would need intervention from the highest level in the two countries as junior officials have failed to break the impasse.
They, however, pointed out that as Pakistan and India had agreed to start the bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad as part of confidence-building measures aimed at lowering tension, the stalemate over the issue was likely to impact on the more important dialogue on Kashmir.
