Court issues notices over Pak-Afghan bus service closure

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday issued notices to federal secretary communications and secretary for State and Frontier Regions (Safron) in a writ petition filed against closure of the Pak-Afghan Ittehad Bus Service for the last one year.

A two-member PHC bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Ikramullah Khan sought reply from secretaries for Communications and Safron. They were directed to explain as to why the bus service had been closed between the two neighboring countries.

The writ petition was filed by the management of the Pak-Afghan Ittehad Bus Service through their lawyer Sajeed Afridi. The lawyer submitted that Pakistan and Afghanistan had started the bus service for peoples of both the countries. However, he said one year ago, the bus service was closed between the neighboring countries on the directives of the Ministry of Interior.  He submitted that people of both the countries were facing great difficulties in travelling after the closure of the bus service.

The lawyer prayed the court to order and issue directives to the Ministry of Interior for re-opening of the bus service. The additional advocate general submitted that the provincial government had filed a reply in the petition. The bench directed deputy attorney general, representing the federal government, to ensure submission of reply in the petition before the next hearing.