India will let Pakistan resume air flights into its air space

NEW DELHI, India -- In a step back from the brink of war, India said Monday it would allow aircraft from nuclear-armed rival Pakistan to resume flights over Indian air space -- but there was still no word on sending an Indian envoy back to Islamabad.

Pakistan quickly welcomed a "step in the desired direction," and urged India to withdraw its military "back to peacetime positions."

India's announcement fell well short of the expectations for conciliatory gestures it might offer to defuse the crisis. Western diplomats have hinted more will likely follow.

New Delhi imposed the air space restrictions following a deadly attack on the Indian Parliament on Dec. 13. It relaxed them Monday after acknowledging cross-border incursions by Muslim militants had been reduced.

"There is some fall in infiltration, but difficult to say if it is a definite trend," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said.

India made no mention of any dialogue with Pakistan -- which Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has sought throughout the six-month standoff.

Clashing over Kashmir

Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has insisted on seeing an end to cross-border terrorism by Muslim militants before the two sides can talk peace. The militants want the disputed province of Kashmir to be independent or merged with Islamic Pakistan.

Rao insisted India's reopening of its air space was "not a small step."