July 10, 2003	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 9,1424

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NEW DELHI, July 9: Pakistan’s new High Commissioner in New Delhi Aziz Ahmed Khan will present his credentials to President Abdul Kalam on Thursday while his Indian counterpart Shivshankr Menon is expected to arrive in Islamabad by Tuesday, officials said on Wednesday.

Mr Khan, on his second assignment in India, had set the tenor of his new mission, telling a meeting of businessmen from India and Pakistan in the presence of Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha on Monday that peace and trust were vital for normal ties between the two countries.

Mr Khan would be accompanied to his official residence on 8, Tilak Marg in New Delhi by Indian protocol officials, a normal courtesy after the credentials ceremony.

Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha said India was awaiting a response from Pakistan to begin technical level talks on resumption of air links between the two countries.

“While we were ready to resume air links, Pakistan suggested that talks be held between officials of the Civil Aviation Ministries of the two countries. We have left it to Pakistan to decide when and where these talks should be held,” Mr Sinha told Press Trust of India.

There have been reports suggesting that Islamabad has sought guarantees that over-flights should not be banned in future. Mr Sinha said his government had not received any official word in this regard.