Samjhota Express leaves for India
A few 200 passengers were affected last Thursday when Samjhota Express was stopped at the Wagah Border by the Indian authorities citing potential security risks due to protests by farmers in Indian Punjab.
The Samjhauta Express, which was suspended last week following farmers’ protest in Punjab, has resumed, the External Affairs Ministry said today.
Pakistan Railways (PR) earlier announced that the train would depart on Monday but the departure was delayed a second time as farmers’ protests continued on the Indian side of the border.
“One hundred and twenty two Indian nationals and 70 Pakistanis are on board the train that will enter India after immigration process at Wagah Border”, officials said.
Samjhota Express, carrying 205 passengers, left Lahore for Attari at 8:00 am. The train operations have been divided by the authorities of both countries in a unique fashion. For the next six months, the Indian Railways runs the train service from Delhi to Lahore and then back to Delhi.
The train, scheduled to run on Mondays and Thursdays, departed after Indian authorities confirmed resumption of the train service with PR, Pakistan Radio reported.
In February 2007, suspected Hindu extremists had bombed the Samjhota Express, killing 68 people with 42 Pakistanis among them.