Sunday, March 6 2005 14:57 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan would issue application forms for obtaining special permits for travel by the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, which India and Pakistan agreed to run from April 7, from next week.

The forms for special permits would be made available at the Deputy Commissioner's office in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), local daily 'Dawn' quoted officials in Islamabad as saying, adding that the frequency of the bus would be fortnightly.

It, however, did not specify which Deputy Commissioner's office.

India has announced that the forms to obtain special permits for the travellers would be available at the Regional Passport Office in Srinagar, which has been officially classified as the designated authority to issue permits from the Indian side to travel by the bus. Pakistan, however, has not officially announced its designated authority.

Islamabad and New Delhi have agreed to facilitate speedy processing of travel permits and set a timeline of two weeks for security clearance of prospective travellers, the paper said.

The bus would be a 30-seater and a separate coach carrying the media team is likely to be run with the inaugural bus to cover the re-opening of the historic route. Keeping in view the security concerns a police van would tail the bus, it said.