ISLAMABAD, 17 July 2003 — Pakistan agreed yesterday to hold talks with India on the resumption of air links between the South Asian rivals, the Foreign Ministry said, signaling a further thaw in frosty relations between the two neighbors.
“Pakistan has agreed to host experts-level talks between the civil aviation authorities of Pakistan and India to consider all aspects for resumption of air links between the two countries,” it said in a statement. The dates for the meeting would be fixed “after mutual consultations” in due course, the ministry said. The proposal has been communicated to the government of India, it added. Air links between the countries were suspended after an attack on the Indian Parliament in December 2001 which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants.
Despite Pakistan’s denial of any involvement in the attack, India also halted road and rail links, deployed its forces to the border and scaled down its diplomatic presence in Islamabad. India, however, soon allowed overflight facilities to Pakistan, but the offer was rebuffed by Islamabad amid tensions last year. The Indian government last week said it was ready for the resumption of airlinks and overflight facilities with Pakistan.
Indian External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Navtej Sarna said after the reciprocal start of the bus service between the countries that India was ready for a meeting of aviation experts to iron out details of the resumption of bilateral flights.
Pakistan has said that India must offer guarantees that it would not unilaterally freeze passenger flights like it did after the 2001 attack on the Parliament in New Delhi.
