ISLAMABAD/SRINAGAR, Aug 22: Pakistan said on Friday it was ready to discuss reopening its airspace to commercial overflights from India but dismissed Indian assertions it was dragging its feet on resumption of peace talks.

The foreign ministry said aviation officials from the two countries would meet in Islamabad next Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss resumption of air links.

“We hope that these talks would be productive and lead to a quick resumption of air services between the two countries,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The impression that India is seeking to create about ‘foot dragging’ by Pakistan is incorrect and unwarranted,” it added.

“India will find Pakistan receptive to positive and constructive steps aimed at reducing tension.”

“So far as the issue of overflights is concerned, Pakistan is prepared to discuss the subject at forthcoming talks,” the Pakistani statement said, adding that it was “disingenuous” for India to link this to resumption of train services.

In a related development, Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal informed the National Assembly on Friday that Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in consultation with Ministry of Defence has offered to India resumption of flights between Pakistan and India and the latter’s reply is still awaited.

He was answering a question of Mohammad Safdar Sheikh about resumption of Air service between Pakistan and India and any talks held in this connection between the two countries.

Referring to the upgradation of PIA’s reservation network, the minister said, the airline had recently upgraded its system to eliminate fictitious booking created by the travel agents linked to the PIA Sabre (Semi-Automated Research Environment) multi-host system.

He said, most of the travel agents were persistently using fictitious/manual ticket numbers to make reservation for booking of seats on sought after flights. He said this caused flights to be appear booked but at the time of departure there were empty seats available, resulting in loss of revenue and a bad name to the national carrier.—Reuters/APP