Bangalore: India is planning to lay an optic fibre link along the Wagah border to Pakistan for improving the telecommunication links with the neighbouring nation, Union IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran said today (July 29, 2004).

"We are trying to link Pakistan through the Wagah border," Maran told reporters in Bangalore during his maiden visit to India's IT capital as Union IT Minister.

"It is a matter of 10 kms", he said, adding that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is "very keen on interlinking between the two countries and the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) nations."

Maran, who had been to Pakistan last month for the SAARC meet on telecommunications, said the SAARC forum was looking at setting up common telecom standards for the region like the European Union, besides lowering telecom tariffs in the region.

The next SAARC meet on telecommunication would be held in India next year, he said.