NEW DELHI, July 10: Pakistan’s new High Commissioner Aziz Ahmed Khan presented his credentials to Indian President Abdul Kalam on Thursday and called for a restoration of all travel links between the two countries.
Mr Khan, meeting journalists at the ornate British-built Presidential Palace, also called for an early decision to rescind India’s decision to cut the embassy staff by half following an attack on its parliament on December 13, 2001. Pakistan responded by cutting Indian staff strength in Islamabad to about 50.
Mr Khan said although Pakistan favoured an early resumption of talks on all important issues with India, it would go along with India’s preference for a step-by-step approach to resolve differences. He, however, wanted the travel links and the restoration of diplomatic staff to be assigned a fast track.
He said the two countries should agree to guarantees against any future suspension of overflight facilities against the other.
The new Indian envoy in Islamabad Shivshanker Menon is expected to arrive there next week.
Mr Khan’s credentials formality came a day ahead of the resumption of the bus service between Lahore and New Delhi. In the first journey due to start at 6am on Friday, most of the passengers would be from the Indian media, some 24 of them. Similarly about 15 Pakistani journalists are believed to be boarding the bus from Lahore.
AFP adds: “Airlinks are separate from overflights. The issue of airlinks has just been mentioned and we are ready for it,” he said of his talks with Mr Kalam.
“It disturbs the commercial activity of airlines when such actions are taken and we think (guarantees) are better,” Mr Khan said in replies to questions on the bilateral resumption of commercial air operations.
India froze road, rail and airlinks and deployed its forces on the border with Pakistan in December 2001.
It, however, soon allowed overflight facilities to Pakistan, an offer rebuffed by Islamabad.
Indian officials say Pakistan wants guarantees that there would be no unilateral suspension of commercial flights by either country should relations between them again deteriorate.
Mr Khan insisted that India must offer counter-guarantees for the resumption of bilateral flights.
Mr Khan’s arrival marks the restoration of full diplomatic ties between the two countries. Both had scaled down their missions during the 10 months of military stand-off.
Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, however, appeared irked with Pakistan’s pre-conditions on the airlink.
“It will not be very helpful if the two countries started asking guarantees from each other. Then we will seek, I don’t know how many such guarantees from Pakistan,” Mr Sinha said in an overnight interview to the Press Trust of India.
“It is the wrong end to start discussions... One should enter a dialogue framework with as open a mind as possible.”
Mr Sinha noted he had yet to receive an official demand for the counter-guarantee, adding the subject was raised recently by Pakistan’s foreign office spokesman.
“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,” he said.