Tuesday, March 29 2005 21:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Passengers of the inaugural Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service will be given free tickets and meals by the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Government as a special gesture to express happiness over the commencement of the transport link between the two sides of Kashmir.

PoK Prime Minister Sikandar Hayat Khan said his Government will also provide the same facilities to the passengers of the first bus coming to Muzaffarabad from Srinagar.

"I myself will welcome the passengers coming from Srinagar," he told the Voice of America (VOA) radio in an interview. The first bus will carry 30 passengers from each side.

Hayat said all arrangements like repair of roads and construction of the bus terminal at this side of the LoC (Line of Control) had been completed. Replying to a question, he said the commencement of the bus service could be a first step towards the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

However, he said that no solution of the Kashmir issue could prove durable without inclusion of the people of Kashmir in the process.