India wants to increase Pakistan bus link

Indian transport officials say that India and Pakistan want to increase the frequency of the bus link between Delhi and Lahore after its commercial success.

The Delhi Transport Corporation says it wants the bus service - which is the only one connecting the two countries - to run six days a week rather than the current two days.

Although the proposal needs the approval of both the Indian and Pakistani Governments, the Delhi transport minister, Pervez Hashmi, told the BBC both countries were keen to give it the go-ahead.

Demand is so high that tickets are sold off months in advance.

The bus service was started by the Indian Prime Minister - Atal Behari Vajpayee - in 1999 in what was described as a goodwill gesture soon after the last high-level talks between the countries.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service