Share

Delhi-bound Samjhota Express returns to Lahore

Indian authorities on Thursday stopped Samjhota Express train at Wagah railway station and 57 Pakistani passengers were offloaded, Capital TV reported.

Advertisement

Swarup said: “Indian Railway authorities had informed in advance their Pakistani counterparts that the train would not be able to run in such a situation”.

The ongoing protests of farmers in Indian Punjab are said to be the reason behind ban on the train’s entry.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Acting Deputy High Commissioner of India Raghuram was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by South Asia Director General Dr Mohammad Faisal to express concern over the cancellation.

The Samjhauta Express – commonly called the Friendship Express – is a twice-weekly train that runs between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan.

A deadly bomb attack on the Samjhauta Express in February 2007 on the Indian side of the border killed 68 people, including 42 Pakistanis.

Train has been standing there at the Wahga railway station, passengers are waiting for its departure but Indian officials have refused to enter it into Indian territory which left hundreds of passengers suffering.

Advertisement

In 2011, Hindu extremist leader Swami Aseemanand had confessed that he was involved in several bombing incidents and also claimed to have been a part of the Samjhota Express train bombing.

India denies entry to Samjhauta Express