Friday, April 22 2005 13:36 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Shillong: National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah today (Apr 22, 2005) termed the launching of bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad as more of a "social service" than anything else.

"It is a social service which started after 57 years," Abdullah told sources in Shillong when asked he felt about launching the bus service between two sides of Kashmir.

He said the move would help the people particularly from Poonch, Rajouri and Jammu sector, where many people were separated and not from the (Srinagar) valley.

Defying militants' threat, 61 passengers yesterday (Apr 21, 2005) travelled by the second Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus amidst tight security all along the route.

On a question whether he intended to travel by the bus, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said he was declared a "persona non-grata" by Pakistan, which would never allow him to enter into that country.

"Pakistan always treated us 'enemy number one' as it thought my father had blocked Kashmir's accession with that nation," the NC Rajya Sabha MP said adding we were happy to be with India.