Saturday, March 12 2005 12:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will flag off the 170-km Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service across the divided Kashmir on April 7.

Singh will fly to Srinagar, the third time since he assumed the top post in May last year (2004), on April 7 for the purpose and return to Delhi the same evening, official sources said today (Mar 12, 2005).

India and Pakistan had decided to launch the bus service for all their nationals on February 16 during the visit of External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh to Islamabad.

Travel across the Line of Control (LoC) by the bus link will be through an entry permit system, once identities of the passengers are verified.

The Srinagar-Uri road is being re-paved for the launch of the service, which is being resumed after a gap of 58 years.

The Prime Minister's visit will follow that of Congress President Sonia Gandhi's proposed trip to Uri in the State where she will address a rally on March 29.