Attari: The Samhjauta Express, a bilateral train service between India and Pakistan that has been suspended at present in the wake of escalating tension between the two countries, arrived at the Attari border on Thursday evening.
The train arrived in Attari at 05:15 p.m.
Following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35 (A), which accorded special status and rights to Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad had suspended the train services on its side earlier in the day.
However, Indian Railways clarified that the train service has not yet been suspended but Pakistan authorities refused to send their crew to India citing security concern.
On this matter, Superintendent of Attari International Railway Station, Arvind Kumar Gupta said, “Services haven’t stopped. Pakistan’s driver and the guard refused to come to India. So they sent us a message to send engine with Indian crew and guard. They’ll go with the engine and bring the train.”
The Samjhauta Express was standing in the Wagah side of the border in Pakistan with around 110 passengers. An Indian engine brought the train from Wagah to Attari.
The Samjhauta Express, commonly called the Friendship Express, is a bi-weekly train–Thursday and Monday–that runs between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan since 1976 after the Shimla Accord between the two countries. The word Samjhauta means “agreement”, “accord” and “compromise” in both Hindi and Urdu.
Last time, the operations of Samjhauta Express were suspended on February 28, following the Pulwama terror attack that was carried out by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed or JeM that killed more than 40 CRPF jawans on February 14. But it was resumed shortly later.