ISLAMABAD, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Cars in the SAARC Rally 2007 which started from Bangladesh Thursday will arrive in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore bordering India through the Wagha border on March 28, said a Pakistani minister.

    Addressing a news conference here, Minister for Tourism Nilofar Bakhtiar said that the cars would be warmly welcomed at the Wagha border.

    She said that the slogan of the rally was "Drive to Unite" and it was aimed at promoting peace, love and friendship between the member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

    She said that it would help accelerate economic growth, social progress, cultural development and tourism among the SAARC member countries. She said that the rally was also part of "Visit Pakistan Year-2007" celebrations.

    She said that from Lahore, the rally would flag off for the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. A grand evening will be arranged in Taxila, a town with Buddhist ruins some 40 kilometers northwest of Islamabad, to entertain the participants of the SAARC Rally and the Gandhara Week. After spending four days in Pakistan, the rally will return to Lahore and again depart for India.

    She said that the car rally after traveling through seven SAARC countries including Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives would terminate in New Delhi on April 14 prior to the SAARC Summit.