ISLAMABAD, May 12: The air service between Pakistan and Afghanistan was resumed when an Ariana airline plane landed here at Islamabad International Airport to mark the resumption of commercial flights after a pause of 23 years.

Minister of State and Chairman Export Promotion Bureau Tariq Ikram warmly received the Ariana flight, carrying an official delegation headed by Afghanistan Minister for Commerce Syed Mustafa Kazmi, here at the airport on Sunday afternoon.

The Afghanistan official delegation also included Minister for Works of Afghanistan, members of Afghanistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, members from the private sector of Afghanistan and President Ariana Capt Jahed A. Azimi.

An Ariana Boeing aircraft was the first to land here at the Islamabad airport since the air service to Pakistan was suspended in 1979 following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

PIA will operate its flight to Kabul on May 18 and both the countries would operate flights once a week between the two countries.

PIA will operate one flight weekly basis on Saturday while Ariana will operate its flight on every Sunday.

The agreement to resume commercial flights was reached earlier this month during talks between Minister for Finance Shaukat Aziz and his Afghan counterpart Hedayat Amin Arsala.

Taking to newsmen after arrival at the Islamabad airport the Afghanistan Minister for Commerce, Syed Mustafa Kazmi, said that the resumption of flights between the two countries would open new vistas of prosperity and development and further cement the bilateral relations.—APP