New Delhi: Pakistan has granted visas to seven crew members of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), setting in motion the process of re-launch of the Delhi-Lahore bus service after 18 months amid indications that the first vehicles would begin plying on July 11.

Significantly, the issuance of visas to the DTC crew members, all drivers, coincided with the arrival of Pakistan's new High Commissioner Aziz Ahmed Khan to New Delhi.

The service was snapped on December 31, 2001, 18 days after Pakistan-backed terrorists attacked Parliament.

Although officials of the two countries had agreed in-principle after two-day talks in June to resume the service from July 1, "some technicalities", including non-availability of visas have caused a postponement, DTC officials said.

The two countries are now working on to restart the service from July 11, believing that "all formalities would be completed by then".

"Although there is no agreement on the date yet, July 11 seems to be the most convenient," a top DTC official said.

DTC is also waiting for a communication from the External Affairs Ministry to start booking of passengers for Lahore.

He said DTC is ready to restart the twice-a-week service any day.

The Ambedkar Nagar bus terminal has been given a facelift to upgrade it to international standards and security-check equipments have been put in place.

PTI