Islamabad: Pakistan has decided to send an official delegation to New Delhi next week to work out modalities for resumption of Delhi-Lahore bus service, but maintained studious silence on the resumption of air and rail links between two countries.

The delegation would comprise senior officials of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a representative of the foreign office and technical officials of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), local daily 'Dawn' quoted officials as saying.

An inter-ministerial meeting convened by the External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi on June 3 decided that the bus service, stopped following the terrorist strike on Parliament on December 13, 2001, could be started from July 1 if Pakistan agreed to the schedule.

Though resumption of air links was the first measure announced by both the Prime Ministers, Pakistan so far maintained that the issue should be sorted out between civil aviation officials of both countries.

Pakistan appeared not to be in a hurry on air links front as it also has to grant over flight permission to India, which was withdrawn after New Delhi announced ban on Pakistan over fights in 2001.

Owing to the ban of airspace by Pakistan, officials claimed Air India had to suffer heavy losses, as it had to re-route over 100 flights to Europe and far East, whereas the Indian ban affected only dozen odd Pakistan flights.

PTI