Pakistan to allow overflights: Musharraf
By Our Corporate Bureau | 01 Dec 2003
Islamabad:
On the eve of the second round of talks between India and
Pakistan scheduled in New Delhi on the resumption of overflight
facilities and airlinks, the Pakistani President, Pervez
Musharraf, announced here today that as a "gesture
of goodwill" Pakistan would agree to resume overflights
with India.
The declaration by Gen. Musharraf ends the 17-month row between Islamabad and New Delhi. India suspended overflight facilities and airlinks with Pakistan from January 1, 2002 in the wake of the December 13, 2001 Parliament attack.
The revival of airlinks was one of the two proposals first mooted by the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in his statement to Parliament days after his Srinagar peace initiative on April 17/18. But Pakistan remained unmoved at the first round of talks held in the last week of August in Rawalpindi.