Tuesday, April 5 2005 19:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Six Pakistani journalists, including two based in Delhi, have been permitted to travel to Srinagar for the historic launch of the bus service to Muzaffarabad.

Representatives of Pakistani television networks Geo and ARY as also two from the print media will be covering the event from the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC).

"In keeping with the spirit of the Confidence-Building Measures, we have given visas to Pakistani journalists who have applied," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters.

His response came when a journalist complained that Indian journalists who had applied for visa to enable them to travel to Muzaffarabad had not been granted permission by the Pakistan High Commission.

Sarna said two Pakistani journalists were already in India. "We are facilitating the travel of the Delhi-based Pakistani journalists," he said adding representatives of television networks were coming.

"One of them is being included in the pool we have kept for going upto the LoC," he said.

A big Indian and foreign media contingent is expected to be present when Prime Minister kicks off the inaugural bus run on April seven.

When contacted, Pakistan High Commission sources said about 90 to 100 foreign journalists, mostly based in Islamabad, were travelling to Muzaffarabad for the bus launch.

This included two Indian journalists stationed in Islamabad, the sources said adding no foreign journalist wishing to come from outside Pakistan was being permitted.