Pakistan Will Allow Overflights by India

Pakistan will allow Indian airlines to resume flights in its airspace, the president said Sunday -- the latest sign of improving relations between the South Asian nuclear rivals.

Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s president, said his nation would agree to a resumption of overflights when the countries begin two days of talks today in New Delhi, the state news agency reported.

The neighbors severed air service and road and railway links last year amid tensions that led them to the brink of war over the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir. The last flights were on Jan. 1, 2002.

Since India called in April for a resumption of dialogue, relations have improved. The nations have restored some bus links, and on Tuesday began a cease-fire on the line that divides Kashmir.

Musharraf expressed hope that the thaw would culminate in the resolution of all disputes between the two countries, the news agency report said.

Analysts say Musharraf’s offer was part of an attempt to accelerate the peace process ahead of a summit of South Asian leaders in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, in January, which Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is to attend.

Vajpayee said last week that he would be happy to see Pakistan’s prime minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, at the summit, although Indian officials have for now ruled out bilateral talks between the premiers over Kashmir.

“All this improvement of relations will help in the forthcoming summit, which will be quite critical,” political and security analyst Talat Masood said in Islamabad.

Masood and others warned against expecting an early resumption of peace talks over Kashmir. Two rebel attacks in which six people died were reported in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir on Sunday.