Posted: 投稿者： Administrator (22) 投稿日時： 木, 2006-03-23 10:53 | 件名: Pakistan and China to start regular bus service by June

BEIJING: Pakistan and China will start a regular bus service on daily basis from June 1, connecting several cities in both countries.

A decision was taken at an official meeting held in Urumqi on March 20 and 21.

It will be for the first time that Pakistan’s Northern areas will be connected to China’s Western region through a regular bus service. According to a formal protocol signed by the two parties, a bus each will operate from both sides daily between Sust and Tashkorgan.

Another bus will run thrice a week between Kashgar, Sust, Khunjrab and Gilgit.

Sources said the two countries would also start a goods transportation service via Khunjrab pass from May 1.

It was agreed that each side would issue 3000 permits to their registered transporters to carry goods between the two countries. Each permit will be valid for one-round trip and the vehicles will be operated from the designated points. The number of permits could be gradually increased according to the demand of the transporters.

The protocol is an important step forward to build upon the existing road network arrangement between the two countries. It will go a long way promoting their commercial links and strengthening people-to-people contacts.

During the talks, the two sides emphasized the importance of Karakorum Highway that serves as a ‘Friendship bridge’ between the two countries. They also acknowledged that Pakistan could act as a transit facility giving China access to Central Asian markets and developing energy sources.

The officials reiterated their commitment for early rehabilitation and up-gradation of the KKH. They also referred to a MoU signed during President Pervez Musharraf’s recent visit to China.

Pakistan’s delegation at the talks was led by Firdaus Alam, Ministry of Communication joint secretary, and included Shahid Iqbal, road communication director, Abdul Salik Khan, a senior of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Babar Amin, a Pakistan Embassy official.

While the Chinese side was headed by Wang Shuiting, senior official of Department of Highway, who is also deputy head of Xinjiang’s Communication department.

The two sides have considerably reduced tariffs on a number of import-export items under the Early Harvesting Programme.

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