The Hindu : Restoration of mission strength the next step: Pakistan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 03, 2003

International

International

Restoration of mission strength the next step: Pakistan

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Dec. 2. Pakistan tonight said that it foresaw no difficulty in the restoration of rail links with India after the decision to revive overflight facilities and air links.

The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Masood Khan, said Islamabad was glad that New Delhi had accepted the proposal made by the Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, for restarting of Samjautha Express. The dates proposed by India for technical talks on Samjautha Express had been referred to the Pakistan Railways.

Mr. Khan said that since the Srinagar peace initiative of the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pakistan had sought the revival of rail links four times and hoped for the restoration of the Samjautha service by December-end. The service would go a long way in enhancing people-to-people contacts.

"After the decision on the revival of air links and the proposal for technical talks on rail links, the next logical step is to restore the strength of the staff of the Indian and Pakistan missions in Islamabad and New Delhi to the pre-January 2002 level," Mr. Khan said.

Separately, the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, said the confidence building measures (CBMs) initiated by both Pakistan and India must continue for lasting peace and stability in South Asia.

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