UK hails lifting of ban on overflights

Published December 2, 2003

LONDON, Dec 1: Britain on Monday warmly welcomed President Pervez Musharraf’s decision to lift a ban on Indian flights over Pakistan’s territory, and hoped that both the countries would continue on the course to normalize their relations.

“We warmly welcome that development. We are extremely encouraged by this latest in a series of confidence-building measures including the declaration of the ceasefire across the Line of Control (LoC),” a spokeswoman for the Britain Foreign and Commonwealth Office told APP here on Monday.

She was commenting on President Musharraf’s announcement on Sunday that Pakistan would agree to resumption of overflights with India in the coming talks with New Delhi. Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali had earlier announced ceasefire on the LoC as a gesture of goodwill to India which came into effect from the Eid day on Nov 26.

The spokeswoman hoped that both the neighbours “will continue to work together towards resolving their differences including Kashmir”.