The Hindu : Officials to focus on modalities of resuming overflights

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 01, 2003

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Officials to focus on modalities of resuming overflights

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI NOV. 30. With Pakistan's decision to lift unilaterally the ban on Indian overflights being announced on Sunday, the two-day "technical talks" between aviation officials beginning on Monday will focus on the modalities of resuming overflights and direct air links between the two countries.

Official and diplomatic sources told this correspondent that the Pakistani delegation for the talks, led by a senior official dealing with civil aviation, had arrived in the capital. The talks will be held in a hotel here.

The Pakistani decision lifting the ban on overflights need to be seen in tandem with the June 2002 Indian offer to resume overflights. Now, the officials will have to set a date for the resumption of overflights and discuss details of how to resume direct flights between India and Pakistan.

Another issue that will be addressed by the aviation officials will be the re-establishment of Pakistan International Airlines and Indian Airlines offices in New Delhi and Mumbai as well as Lahore and Karachi.

Clearly, the Pakistani decision to lift the ban on overflights without insisting on a bilateral guarantee that India will not act in the same way in the future, has opened the door to "normal" transport links between the two countries.

On October 22, the External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, announced that India was ready to hold talks to resume the suspended Samjhauta Express if the aviation issue was sorted out.

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