*LAHORE – Pakistan rejects Indian government officials request of openingthe railways routes between Pakistan and India that had been closedfollowing Modi government scrapping status of Occupied Kashmir.*
The Ministry of Railways has rejected a request by the Indian Railways torestore operations of the Samjhauta Express and the Thar Express trains,which were suspended last week in the wake of New Delhi’s illegal move tostrip occupied Kashmir (IOK) of its special status.
According to sources, Indian Ferozwala Railway officials had requested thePakistan Railways to resume operation of the Samjhauta Express which pliesbetween Lahore and Attari and the Thar Express which plies between Karachito Munabao in Rajisthan.
However, Pakistan’s Ministry of Railways rejected the request and issueddispatches to divisional superintendents of Lahore and Karachi, directingthem to keep the train services suspended for an indefinite time.
Read Top Stories
The sources said Indian Railway officials had asked Pakistan to restoreboth suspended trains according to their schedule. The Samjhauta Expressruns twice in a week – Monday and Thursday – while the Thar Express onlyruns once a week on Friday and reach India the next day.
Due to suspension of the trains, passengers in both countries who travelvia these trains are facing difficulties. At present, the only open routebetween the two rival countries is that of Wagah border, which could becrossed on foot.
