New Delhi: A track-II delegation of members of Parliament, including from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and journalists on August 9 left for Pakistan on a three-day visit carrying a message of peace and brotherhood.

The group, who took a train to Amritsar and will walk across the border through the Wagah check post, is expected to meet President Pervez Musharraf and an array of high-profile politicians and social leaders and discuss wide-ranging bilateral issues.

The delegation, consisting of around 20 MPs and 10 journalists, is the largest ever to visit Pakistan after the bilateral relations hit a new low after the December 13, 2001 militant attack on Indian Parliament.

In an atmosphere charged with slogans for lasting Indo-Pak friendship at the New Delhi Railway station, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Laloo Prasad Yadav, Congress member Mani Shankar Aiyer, BJP MP Balbir Punj, Lok Janshakti MP Ram Vilas Paswan and senior journalist Dilip Padgaonkar told reporters they were going to Pakistan with the message of peace, brotherhood and to envisage all modes to improve people-to-people contact.

"Let us see what we can contribute towards bridging the gap. It is the politicians of both countries who are at loggerheads while the people both sides are longing for lasting peace", Aiyer said.

He said the delegation expects to discuss a wide range of bilateral issues during a meeting with a "high- profile government side" led by President Musharraf and at the seminar organised by the South Asian Free Media Organisation (SAFMA).

Punj said issue of resumption of rail, air links and easing of visa process would also be stressed during the meetings.

PTI