As Indian Punjab sunk into violence and unrest, a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus enroute to Lahore from Delhi as part of the international service between two historical cities has been stopped as a precaution at Ludhiana Sadar Police Station. The move came as violence errupted in all major cities and towns of the Indian Punjab province after a revered Sikh Guru was killed in a Gurdawara shoot-out at Vienna, Austria. Inflamed protestors burnt tyres, vehicles and a train in cities like Jalandhar.

All passengers of the ‘Dosti Bus’, including both Indians and Pakistanis, are safe and will continue their journey once events die down and safety is ensured for the rest of their journey.

Sister cities of Lahore and Delhi just got transportation links restored a few years back after decades of cut-out; a luxury that again gets threatened by unrest on either side of the border. In 2007, about 65 passengers were burnt alive when the train link between the two cities, termed as ‘Samjhota Express’ was targeted near Panipat in India. Most recently India has expressed its reservation over the security of the bus service within Pakistan borders, a claim which Pakistani authorities say is unnecessary keeping in view the greater loss of Pakistani life on the Indian side resulting from sabotage and lack of proper security.