LONDON, Sept 24: What about a new number 15 to Kashmir? – the wheels on this Birmingham, UK, bus will go round and round… all the way to Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
A new 4,000-mile bus route has been planned to take passengers from Birmingham to the city of Mirpur at the foot of the Himalayas.
The lengthy commute passes through seven countries, including Iran, before finally reaching its destination, also known as Little Birmingham.
Passengers embarking on the epic, 12-day journey are expected to fork out £130 for a ticket.
But the service will be good news for the people of Birmingham, which is home to the world’s largest population of Kashmiri expats.
Birmingham’s Labour MP Khalid Mahmood, whose family originate from Mirpur, said yesterday: “It’s a great idea that will bring the two cities closer together.
“I’m sure the service will prove very popular, especially with average air fares to Pakistan being about £600.”
However, security concerns have been raised about the route, which will stop over at Quetta. It’s said that top Taliban commanders are hiding in the volatile city, near the Afghan border.
But the region’s Transport Minister Tahir Khokher said: “I don’t feel that security will be a problem. Barring one or two instances in Quetta, the overall situation is good-to-go.
“We are proposing to run four luxury buses once a fortnight. It will be a thrilling ride with particular arrangements for sightseeing, camping and restaurant visits.”
(Mirror, UK)
