December 31, 2001

KATHMANDU: Pakistan Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar arrived in Kathmandu on the last Pakistan International Airlines( PIA) flight between Karachi and Kathmandu Monday to attend the meeting of the the SAARC  council of ministers representing foreign ministers of seven South Asian nations from Wednesday ahead of a regional summit from January 4 to 6.

India has withdrawn over-flying rights to Pakistani aircraft over its airspace from Tuesday as  tensions spiral between the two countries over Indian charges that Pakistan was behind this month’s bloody attack by  terrorists on the Indian parliament.

Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistani President Pervej Musharraf are attending the summit despite the escalating war of nerves between the two countries while publicly saying they will not meet privately for bilateral discussions.

Sattar told Nepal Television shortly arrival he had no immediate plans meet and talk with his Indian counterpart Jaswant Singh in Kathmandu. “But Pakistan is ready to meet any time and anywhere ,” with his counterpart He said Pakistan was interested in a peaceful resolution of issues with India.
” Pakistan will work to make the 11th SAARC summit a success,’ he said.