ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Air Services agreement approved byFederal cabinet.
The federal cabinet has approved the Air Services Agreement (ASA) betweenPakistan and Saudi Arabia which would allow more bilateral flights.
Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired the federal cabinet meeting where theproposed Air Services Agreement (ASA) between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia wastabled. The ASA was signed in 1972. Article 13 or the ASA permits furtherconsultation for close collaboration and strengthening of air servicesbetween the aeronautical authorities of both countries.——————————
According to sources, a Pakistani delegation visited Saudi Arabia on June15 and 16, 2015. During the course of the discussions a revived draft ASAwas initiated and exchanged, as the existing ASA between the two countrieswas not catering to the needs of air connectivity due to variousdevelopments in the international aviation sector.
Board of Investment (BoI) on December 5, 2019, conveyed that the nextSummit meeting of the Saudi Supreme Coordination Council has been scheduledin the first quarter of 2020 and the Prime Minister has indicated hisintention to co-chair the meeting. The Saudi embassy in Islamabad has theagenda of the meeting.——————————
Read Top Stories
An agenda item includes urging the Pakistan side to sign bilateral airservices agreement between the two countries where they have already beenmarked by both sides; the Convention regulates the rights of transport andbases of air operation and allows the designation of more than one carrierper party.
The source said necessary consultations were earlier made with the Ministryof Foreign Affairs, Law and Justice Division, Ministry of Interior, FinanceDivision, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Ministry of Defence. Thereservations/comments of the stakeholders were also discussed and addressedin a meeting chaired by the then Secretary Aviation on February 28, 2018.
