India, Pakistan to hold talks to review Air Services Agreement

India and Pakistan would hold technical-level talks this month to review bilateral Air Services Agreement as well as the Shipping protocol.

The Joint Statement issued at the end of the two- day talks between Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Mohammad Khan here today said the talks on both issues would be held this month. India and Pakistan at present run flights between Lahore and New Delhi and Karachi and Mumbai which involve the Indian Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

Officials have recently discussed the possibility of permitting private airlines to operate between the two countries to enhance mutually beneficial economic cooperation and friendly exchanges. PIA has also reportedly proposed to operate its flights to Chennai and Hyderabad.

The September talks would also review the Shipping Protocol to permit the third country vessels to berth at each others ports to unload cargo. Currently the ships are permitted to operate point-to-point between the ports of the two countries.
PTI