Since the partition of India in 1947 , travel restrictions were imposed and most road and railway links shut off . Following the example of the Samjhauta Express that was launched in 1976 , the bus service was launched to permit divided families to visit relatives and to foster commerce and tourism . The bus service launch was a key element in the efforts of the Indian and Pakistani governments to improve frosty and tense relations with Pakistan , especially in the aftermath of the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests and the immediate Pakistani response of the Chaghai Hills tests . The bus had made its trial runs on 8 and 14 January , carrying officials of both governments . Vajpayee 's bus journey and arrival in Pakistan was met with much fanfare on both sides of the border and worldwide media coverage . The inaugural bus also carried Indian celebrities and dignitaries such as Dev Anand , Satish Gujral , Javed Akhtar , Kuldip Nayar , Kapil Dev , Shatrughan Sinha and Mallika Sarabhai . Both governments soon promulgated the 1999 Lahore Declaration , which pledged both nations to the peaceful resolution of bilateral disputes , especially that of the Kashmir conflict and deployment of nuclear weapons , while fostering friendly commercial and cultural relations
1998 Pokhran nuclear tests
Pokhran-II
Delhi–Lahore Bus