Delhi-Lahore Bus
Encyclopedia
The Delhi–Lahore Bus, officially known as Sada-e-Sarhad ' onMouseout='HidePop("90522")' href="/topics/Indian_English">translation
: Call of the Frontier), is a passenger bus
service connecting the India
n capital of Delhi
with the city of Lahore
, Pakistan
via the border transit post at Wagah
. The bus was of symbolic importance to the efforts of the governments of both nations to foster peaceful and friendly relations. In its inaugural run on February 19, 1999, the bus carried the then-Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
, who was to attend a summit in Lahore and was received by his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif
at Wagah.
Officially launching its services on March 16, the bus service was not halted even after the outbreak of the Kargil War
. The bus service was halted in the aftermath of the 2001 Indian Parliament attack
, which led to a serious confrontation between the two neighbours.
in 1947, travel restrictions were imposed and most road and railway links shut off. Following the example of the Samjhauta Express
that was launched in 1976, the bus service was launched to permit divided families to visit relatives and to foster commerce and tourism. The bus service launch was a key element in the efforts of the Indian and Pakistani governments to improve frosty and tense relations with Pakistan, especially in the aftermath of the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests
and the immediate Pakistani response of the Chaghai Hills tests
.
The bus had made its trial runs on January 8 and January 14, carrying officials of both governments. Vajpayee's bus journey and arrival in Pakistan was met with much fanfare on both sides of the border and worldwide media coverage. The inaugural bus also carried Indian celebrities and dignitaries such as Dev Anand
, Satish Gujral
, Javed Akhtar
, Kuldip Nayar
, Kapil Dev
, Shatrughan Sinha
and Mallika Sarabhai
. Both governments soon promulgated the 1999 Lahore Declaration
, which pledged both nations to the peaceful resolution of bilateral disputes, especially that of the Kashmir conflict
and deployment of nuclear weapons, while fostering friendly commercial and cultural relations.
on December 13, 2001, which the Indian government accused Pakistan of instigating. The bus service was resumed on July 16, 2003 when bilateral relations had improved.
matches in Lahore; many of whom travelled via the bus amidst great fanfare at the border; the gesture was reciprocated the following year when the Pakistan national cricket team toured India.
and the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation. The DTC offers the bus service on Tuesdays and Fridays, leaving from the Dr. Ambedkar Terminal at Delhi Gate
and the PTDC offers the service every Wednesdays and Fridays. The DTC operates the bus for return trips on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the PTDC on Tuesdays and Fridays. Fare for adults is 1500, and for minors, 833. Children under age of 2 travel free. The PTDC charges Rs. 2000 for adults and it starts journey from PTDC LDBS Terminal in Lahore located at 66-D/1 Gulberg-III, near Liberty Market (Tel:042-5755940 & 5875359)
Authorities on both sides maintain strict security screening of the passengers and the baggage. Hazardous materials are prohibited and valuables checked. Customs and immigration checking are performed on arrival in the Pakistani town of Wagah and at the first stop in India at Kartarpur
. Passengers are required to carry their passports, a valid visa
and their travel tickets and check in 2 hours before departure. The loss of tickets are to be reported to the police authorities.
The bus stops for meals and refreshment at Wagah and at the towns of Pipli (A small town on outskirts of Kurukshetra
), Sirhind and Kartarpur
in India. The duration of the entire journey is 8 hours, covering a distance of 530 km (329 mi). The bus is air-conditioned and carries on-board entertainment such as film shows, video and music players as well as a mobile telephone service.
Indian English
Indian English is an umbrella term used to describe dialects of the English language spoken primarily in the Republic of India.As a result of British colonial rule until Indian independence in 1947 English is an official language of India and is widely used in both spoken and literary contexts...
: Call of the Frontier), is a passenger bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service connecting the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n capital of Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
with the city of Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
via the border transit post at Wagah
Wagah
Wagah is the only road border crossing between Pakistan and India , and lies on the Grand Trunk Road between the cities of Lahore, Pakistan and Amritsar, India. Wagah itself is a village through which the controversial Radcliffe Line was drawn. The village was divided by independence in 1947...
. The bus was of symbolic importance to the efforts of the governments of both nations to foster peaceful and friendly relations. In its inaugural run on February 19, 1999, the bus carried the then-Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
, who was to attend a summit in Lahore and was received by his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
at Wagah.
Officially launching its services on March 16, the bus service was not halted even after the outbreak of the Kargil War
Kargil War
The Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control...
. The bus service was halted in the aftermath of the 2001 Indian Parliament attack
2001 Indian Parliament attack
The 2001 Indian Parliament attack was a high-profile attack by Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists against the building housing the Parliament of India in New Delhi...
, which led to a serious confrontation between the two neighbours.
Launching of the bus service
Since the partition of IndiaPartition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947, travel restrictions were imposed and most road and railway links shut off. Following the example of the Samjhauta Express
Samjhauta Express
The Samjhauta Express commonly called the Friendship Express, is a twice-weekly train Tuesdays and Fridays that runs between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan. The word samjhauta means "Understanding","accord" and "compromise" in both Hindi and Urdu.Until the reopening of the Thar...
that was launched in 1976, the bus service was launched to permit divided families to visit relatives and to foster commerce and tourism. The bus service launch was a key element in the efforts of the Indian and Pakistani governments to improve frosty and tense relations with Pakistan, especially in the aftermath of the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests
Pokhran-II
Pokharan-II refers to test explosions of five nuclear devices, three on 11 May and two on 13 May 1998, conducted by India at the Pokhran test range. These nuclear tests resulted in a variety of sanctions against India by a number of major states....
and the immediate Pakistani response of the Chaghai Hills tests
Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction
Pakistan began focusing on nuclear weapons development in January 1972 under the leadership of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who delegated the program to the Chairman of PAEC Munir Ahmad Khan...
.
The bus had made its trial runs on January 8 and January 14, carrying officials of both governments. Vajpayee's bus journey and arrival in Pakistan was met with much fanfare on both sides of the border and worldwide media coverage. The inaugural bus also carried Indian celebrities and dignitaries such as Dev Anand
Dev Anand
Dharam Dev Anand , better known as Dev Anand , is an Indian Hindi Cinema actor, director and film producer. Dev is the second of three brothers who were active in Hindi Cinema. His brothers are Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of renowned Hindi and...
, Satish Gujral
Satish Gujral
Satish Gujral is an Indian painter, sculptor, muralist, graphic designer and architect. He was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1999....
, Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar is a poet, lyricist and scriptwriter from India. Some of his most successful work was done in the late 1970s and 1980s with Salim Khan as half of the script-writing duo credited as Salim-Javed...
, Kuldip Nayar
Kuldip Nayar
Kuldip Nayar is a veteran Indian journalist and syndicated columnist, noted for his long career as a left-wing political commentator.-Early life and education:Nayar was born at Sialkot, Punjab, British India on 14 August 1923....
, Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj , better known as Kapil Dev, is a former Indian cricketer. He captained the Indian cricket team which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup...
, Shatrughan Sinha
Shatrughan Sinha
Shatrughan Sinha is an Indian film actor and politician. Apart from being member of Rajya Sabha twice he was also Union Cabinet Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Shipping...
and Mallika Sarabhai
Mallika Sarabhai
Mallika Sarabhai is an activist and Indian Classical Dancer from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Daughter of Classical Dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai and renowned Space Scientist Vikram Sarabhai, Mallika is an accomplished Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer.-Early life:Mallika Sarabhai was born in...
. Both governments soon promulgated the 1999 Lahore Declaration
Lahore Declaration
The Lahore Declaration was a bilateral agreement between India and Pakistan signed on February 21, 1999 by the then-Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the then-Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif at the conclusion of a historic summit in Lahore, Pakistan...
, which pledged both nations to the peaceful resolution of bilateral disputes, especially that of the Kashmir conflict
Kashmir conflict
The Kashmir conflict is a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region, the northwesternmost region of South Asia....
and deployment of nuclear weapons, while fostering friendly commercial and cultural relations.
Suspension
While the bus service had continued to run during the Kargil War of 1999, it was suspended in the aftermath of the 2001 Indian Parliament attack2001 Indian Parliament attack
The 2001 Indian Parliament attack was a high-profile attack by Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists against the building housing the Parliament of India in New Delhi...
on December 13, 2001, which the Indian government accused Pakistan of instigating. The bus service was resumed on July 16, 2003 when bilateral relations had improved.
Travel significance
Despite suspension due to bilateral tensions, the Delhi-Lahore bus remains a symbol of desired friendship between the two nations. Since its inception, the bus has frequently carried trade delegations, diplomats and celebrities to both nations, attracting much media coverage. In lieu of the Indian national cricket team's tour of Pakistan in 2004, the Pakistani government permitted 10,000 Indians to travel to watch the cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
matches in Lahore; many of whom travelled via the bus amidst great fanfare at the border; the gesture was reciprocated the following year when the Pakistan national cricket team toured India.
Bus service details
The Delhi-Lahore bus is jointly operated by the Delhi Transport CorporationDelhi Transport Corporation
Delhi Transport Corporation is the main public transport operator of Delhi. It operates buses on many bus routes, including the mudrika and Bahri Mudrika . It is the largest CNG-powered bus service operator in the world. DTC is operating Interstate Services in 6 states viz...
and the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation. The DTC offers the bus service on Tuesdays and Fridays, leaving from the Dr. Ambedkar Terminal at Delhi Gate
Delhi Gate (Delhi)
Delhi Gate is the southern gate of one of the many gates of the historic walled city of Delhi, or Shahjahanabad. The gate links the New Delhi city with the old walled city of Delhi...
and the PTDC offers the service every Wednesdays and Fridays. The DTC operates the bus for return trips on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the PTDC on Tuesdays and Fridays. Fare for adults is 1500, and for minors, 833. Children under age of 2 travel free. The PTDC charges Rs. 2000 for adults and it starts journey from PTDC LDBS Terminal in Lahore located at 66-D/1 Gulberg-III, near Liberty Market (Tel:042-5755940 & 5875359)
Authorities on both sides maintain strict security screening of the passengers and the baggage. Hazardous materials are prohibited and valuables checked. Customs and immigration checking are performed on arrival in the Pakistani town of Wagah and at the first stop in India at Kartarpur
Kartarpur
Kartarpur , was established by Guru Nanak in 1522. When Guru Nanak died, Hindus and Muslims disagreed on how to perform his last rites. A samadh lies in the Gurudwara and a grave lies on the premises as a reminder of this discord...
. Passengers are required to carry their passports, a valid visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
and their travel tickets and check in 2 hours before departure. The loss of tickets are to be reported to the police authorities.
The bus stops for meals and refreshment at Wagah and at the towns of Pipli (A small town on outskirts of Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra is a land of historical and religious importance. Historically the land belonged to Punjab now a district in Haryana state of India. It is a holy place and is also known as Dharmakshetra . According to the Puranas, Kurukshetra is named after King Kuru, the ancestor of Kauravas and...
), Sirhind and Kartarpur
Kartarpur
Kartarpur , was established by Guru Nanak in 1522. When Guru Nanak died, Hindus and Muslims disagreed on how to perform his last rites. A samadh lies in the Gurudwara and a grave lies on the premises as a reminder of this discord...
in India. The duration of the entire journey is 8 hours, covering a distance of 530 km (329 mi). The bus is air-conditioned and carries on-board entertainment such as film shows, video and music players as well as a mobile telephone service.