Transport services that enable people to move between India and Pakistan will further dwindle with Indian Railways announcing closure of the Thar Express service to Pakistan.
In a statement issued on Friday, a day after India’s Independence Day and two days after Pakistan’s Independence Day, the Indian Railways’ North Western Railway spokesperson informed about the closure of train services till further orders.
A few days ago, Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) had announced bus service between Delhi and Lahore in Pakistan had been stopped. “Consequent to Pakistan decision to suspend the Delhi-Lahore bus service, DTC is not able to send bus from August 12,” stated a DTC release.
Prior to that, Indian Railways had also suspended another train Samjhauta Express following Pakistan Railways’ decision to close the train services at its end.
Pakistan has started taking these steps to lower diplomatic and other interactions between the two countries after India abrogated Article 370 under which Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed special status, converted it into a Union Territory and bifurcated it by carving out Ladakh as a separate UT.