Indian buses not being allowed to ply on Pak roads: Official

In the wake of the terror attack on the police training academy in Lahore, Pakistan has stopped the movement of Indian buses beyond the Wagah border for security reasons, an Indian official said on Wednesday.

Lahore-bound Indian buses are being evacuated at the Wagah border and their passengers shifted to Pakistani tourist buses for their onward journey due to rising security concerns following the attack on the academy, an official posted at the international Attari check post said.

After the attack at the police training centre close to the Wagah border, security agencies in Pakistan are apprehensive that Indian buses could be next on the target of
terrorists. Concerned about the safety of the Indian buses, Pakistani authorities yesterday refused to allow the Amritsar-Lahore bus owned by the Government of India to go beyond the Wagah border.

However, the Delhi-Lahore bus belonging to Pakistan Tourism department was allowed to move further up to Lahore. After custom and immigration check amid tight security at
the Wagah border all the passengers of Indian buses are being asked to board the bus of Pakistan Tourism Department to traverse the next 20 km distance upto Lahore, the official said.

It was done by the Pakistan government keeping in view the security of passengers as it was easy for anyone to identify Indian buses, he said. 

"The Pakistani government is of the view that Indian buses could be an easy target which may further create bitterness in the relationship between the two countries," the
Indian official said.

Liaison officer of Amritsar-Lahore bus Harjan said only Indian buses were stopped at Wagah border on Pakistan territory due to security reasons, whereas the buses of
Pakistan tourism department were moving as per schedule.