Bus diplomacy has its uses

THE India-Pakistan peace process has got a fresh push with the much-awaited launch of the Amritsar-Lahore bus service being scheduled in November. After all, if it is possible to have buses plying on the Delhi-Lahore and Srinagar-Muzaffarabad routes, there is no reason why there should be no such link between Amritsar and Lahore. If everything proceeds to plan, then a bus service between Amritsar and Nankana Sahib (the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev) would be another lane on the widening highway of people-to- people connection. In fact, there should be no difficulty in making the weekly service between Amritsar and Lahore into a daily affair in the days ahead. Given the enthusiastic public reaction, the bus may be in great demand, calling for increased frequency.

What has come to be known as bus diplomacy is playing a major role in promoting people-to-people contacts, so essential as a basis for establishing friendly relations between the two neighbours. It has been proved beyond doubt that there can be no better confidence-building measure (CBM) than enabling the people on both sides to interact. And increased contacts have been creating considerable pressure on New Delhi and Islamabad to ensure that the ongoing composite dialogue process remains on course. No doubt, there are hiccups like the inconclusive talks in Islamabad on Wednesday to expand the air links between India and Pakistan. But such developments, though temporarily discouraging, are unlikely to deter the larger process that is underway.

With the increasing bus links between the two Punjabs, it is obvious that visa-issuing facilities are necessary in Amritsar and Lahore to make the journey convenient. The new bus service can give a boost to not only tourism but also India-Pakistan trade which has grown by over 70 per cent in the past two years. It is heartening that Islamabad has allowed the import of vegetables, animal products and sugar through the Wagah border. Wagah can be transformed into a bridge for economic growth.