India, Pak to talk more flights, buses

The Pakistani proposal follows the understanding reached at the second meeting of the Joint Study Group set up to explore ways of improving bilateral economic and commercial ties.

Talks were last held here in December 2003 to resume air links. Both sides agreed on point-to-point flights and overflight facilities. Only Indian Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines were allowed to operate between the two countries.

Only two points of call were identified in each country — Delhi and Mumbai in India and Lahore and Karachi in Pakistan.

Each side was entitled to 12 services a week, neatly divided between the four cities. Neither side was allowed fly beyond these cities, which meant that PIA could not go to Bangkok via Delhi let alone pick up passengers from India.

Delhi is keen to get the 1976 Air Services Agreement modified so that multiple carriers can operate between the two countries. This would allow private airlines like Jet and Sahara to fly to Pakistan. But Islamabad has turned down such a request previously.

Pakistan wants daily flights to Delhi and Mumbai and would like Islamabad and Chennai to be added to the route map. India has linked this to its request for multiple designation of carriers.

Both sides will look to resolve these issues at the technical talks ahead of Foreign Minister K Natwar Singh’s visit to Islamabad in the first week of October.

They will also consider allowing freighter traffic between the two countries as well as allowing flights to be routed beyond the existing points of call.

A technical meeting has been scheduled around the same time to finalise an agreement on starting the Amritsar-Lahore and Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus service.

Elsewhere, efforts are underway to schedule a meeting between officials to discuss a revision of the Shipping Protocol. At present, no third country ship can pick up consignments headed for either India or Pakistan — only ships belonging to these nations can do so.

Mirwaiz meets Gen, points to slow peace process

New york/Srinagar: Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq met Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in New York and extended full support to the Indo-Pak dialogue but expressed regret over the ‘‘slow’’ pace of the peace process. ‘‘This is our attempt to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue so that we could see a peaceful South Asia,’’ Farooq said after the meeting.

Meanwhile, Musharraf has invited J-K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to Pakistan. This is a welcome step, said Mehbooba Mufti, president of the ruling PDP, adding that if the visit can facilitate solution to the Kashmir problem, they will be happy. Pakistan media has also reported that National Conference leader Omar Abdullah will visit the country ahead of Mufti. However, the moderate separatists leaders, involved in the recent dialogue process with New Delhi, have expressed ‘‘annoyance’’ at the invitation. Former chairman of the All Party Hurriyat Conference Abbas Ansari said the invitation to the ‘‘mainstream politicians’’ would not yield any result. — ENS&PTi