20000411

Indian claim on

Samjhota Express

issue denied

ISLAMABAD: A spokesman for Pakistan Railways here on Monday said that Indian authorities have never asked for any meeting in regard to their commitment to provide rolling-stock for Samjhota Express.

The fact is that Pakistani authorities, contrary to the Indian claim, have been repeatedly asking Indian authorities to honour their commitment and in December '99 had even agreed to provide the maintenance of Indian coaches at Lahore.

The spokesman said the Indian authorities should honour their commitment to provide the rake. Pakistan Railways is prepared to meet its counterparts any time, anywhere in the interest of travelling public to resolve all issues which may need to be discussed.

Under an agreement signed in 1991 the Indian and Pakistani Railways had agreed to operate Samjhota Express with their rakes for six months each.

The Indian Railways discontinued their rake on May 17, '94. Since then Samjhota Express has been run with the rake of Pakistan Railways only. On a reference from Pakistan Railways the Executive Director Traffic Transportation (F) Railway Board, New Delhi, agreed that India will contribute one rake, w.e.f. December 16, '99.

This commitment was never honoured and Pakistan Railways, has so far been running the train with their own rake despite resource constraints.

We have now asked the Foreign Office to inform Indian authorities of our intention to withdraw our rake w.e.f. April 15, 2000.

In response to Indian authorities instead of addressing the real issue have preferred an excuse that they had invited Pakistani authorities several times to discuss the issue of smuggling and terrorism.

A spokesman for Foreign Office had said on Saturday that Indian government has failed to live up to its commitment of December 1999 to contribute a rake to Samjhota Express between Lahore and Amritsar, despite Pakistan's assurances to provide the repair facilities at Lahore.

He said Samjhota Express runs alternately on rakes provided by Pakistan and India each of six months. Since November 1994, the train has been running on Pakistani rake.

In June 1999, the Indian government was requested to provide rake for the second half of the year. While seeking clarifications, the Indian government asked Pakistan to continue the prevailing arrangements till the agreement came up for a renewal in July 2000.

After the receipt of clarifications, he said, the Indian railway authorities conveyed their agreement on December 2, 1999 to provide a rake for six months starting on December 16, '99.

They, however, did not implement the agreement. Now have they during this period asked for any meeting between the two sides to discuss the issue of contributing rakes, as claimed by the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Railways in New Delhi, he added.ÑAPP