``We have not been informed. Our Home Department has not sent us any information in this regard,'' said one immigration officer at Wagah.

Another problem was that no instructions had been given to the immigration staff regarding the entry by road through the Wagah post of Indian and Pakistan nationals. This practice was discontinued several years back and only third country nationals were allowed to go through the huge iron gates at the Wagah-Attari crossing. All Pakistani and Indian travellers entered the other country through the Samjhauta Express train. A few years back, even foreign nationals were disallowed the road crossing. Only the occasionaldiplomat was allowed through.

There was no comment from the foreign office in Islamabad. The local media commented that Islamabad was giving the proposal a ``cold shoulder''. But Tariq Altaf, foreign office spokesman, was ironically in New Delhi with a Pakistani delegation holding talks there. The Delhi-Lahore bus service also hit another snag: the Punjab government had not been approached for the relevant certificate to allow a commercial bus to operate in the province. Provincial officials in the capital, Lahore, say the bus can ply only if the certificate is issued by the regional transport authority.

There is much work to be done. For one, the Delhi-Lahore bus service has no terminus to arrive at. There is no bus terminus earmarked at Lahore for the bus.

If the bus service does come through: it will be a first in many respects. Not only will it be a first from Delhi to Lahore, but the first ever bus service from another country into Pakistan. Travellers from Iran, China and even Afghanistan have todisembark from their respective commercial buses and board Pakistani buses once they cross into the country. While cars and even taxis are allowed in from Afghanistan and China, there is no direct commercial bus service from any country into Pakistan. But before this landmark is achieved, a lot of ground work has to go into the project. So far, that has not happened.