NEW DELHI, 15 January 2004 — India and Pakistan have agreed to increase the size of their diplomatic missions and remove travel restrictions on diplomats in a further sign of improving ties, the Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman said yesterday.
The decision follows last week’s breakthrough agreement to begin formal talks on all outstanding disputes between the nuclear rivals, including the row over Kashmir.
“We have been informed that the two confidence building measures, that is the increase in the mission staff from 55 to 75 as well removal of restrictions on mission officials, are acceptable,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said.
The two had more than 100 officials in their embassies until they downgraded diplomatic ties and closed transport links after an attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001 which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based rebels. Islamabad denied involvement.
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf met last week on the margins of a regional conference and vowed to push forward a tentative peace process.
The Samjhauta Express meanwhile resumes its journey from today.
Introduced on July 22, 1976 as a result of the Simla Pact as a symbol of people-to-people contact, the Samjhauta train service, along with the road and air links, was stopped after attack on the Indian Parliament.
The decision to resume the train services was taken last month in New Delhi after talks between the visiting Pakistani delegation and that from India.
The two delegations agreed to extend the train service till Jan. 20, 2007, resume freight service along with the Samjhauta Express with effect from Jan. 15, 2004 and “meet regularly in future” to improve the quality of the train service.
The Delhi-Attari bi-weekly special train, linked with the Attari-Lahore Samjhauta Express resumed its services from yesterday. According to a release from the Railway Ministry, the Delhi-Attari special train would depart from Delhi junction every Wednesday and Sunday at 9 p.m. to reach Attari at 4 .40 a..m. the next day. Its return journey would commence from Attari every Thursday and Monday at 8 05 p..m. to reach Delhi at 3 35 a.m.
