RAWALPINDI: Pakistan and India have agreed to resume diplomatic relations, overflights and airlinks and railway traffic after three days of talks that were held here in pursuance of the letters exchanged between the Prime Ministers of the two countries. The positive developments … following the initiative taken by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in his letter of March 27, addressed to Mrs Indira Gandhi, have thus restored the severed connections … as envisaged in the Simla Agreement. Diplomatic relations were severed soon after the outbreak of the war in December 1971… .

The four-page joint statement issued at the end of the parleys, enumerated the agreements which would be implemented. … Addressing a Press conference, both the Indian and Pakistani Foreign Secretaries, Mr J.S. Mehta and Mr Agha Shahi respectively, said the two countries would require a short time to make preparations for implementing these agreements. … Asked if the Kashmir question was also discussed, Mr Mehta said their mandate was confined to restoration of severed connections and review of trade, shipping and travel arrangements in light of the recent exchange of letters between the two [PMs]. — Correspondent

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2026