India, Pakistan to begin talks on air links

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said technical level talks between the two countries, led by their DGCAs, will be held on August 27 and 28.

The meeting was convened following a proposal by Pakistan for a date for discussion for restoration of air links between the two countries which were snapped in the wake of December 13 attack on Parliament.

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Rudy said the two teams have also agreed for September 3 and 4 as alternate dates for the meeting.

The Minister said it was at the initiative of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee that a decision was taken for restoration of air links between the two countries.

Admitting the delay is causing inconvenience to passengers, Rudy said the talks were expected to pave the way for discussion on modalities for restoring overflying of Pakistan aircraft over Indian air space and other issues.

AFP adds: Pakistani Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali told Hindi-language radio listeners Monday that protracted peace moves with India would pick up speed once suspended airlinks are resumed.

"At the moment this process is on the bus, and the bus moves slowly. When the planes would begin to run and fly, then I hope that the things would move with that speed," Jamali told the BBC's Hindi program in a live link-up with listeners.

"At the moment let the bus move."

Since Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajapayee's landmark peace offer on April 18, New Delhi and Islamabad have reappointed ambassadors after a 12-month absence and resumed a cross-border bus service.

But train and air transport links remain suspended, and direct talks between the fractious neighbours' leaders remain a long way off.

The transport ties were cut after allegedly Pakistan-backed militants stormed the Indian parliament killing nine people in December 2001.