By IOL South Asia Correspondent

NEW DELHI, June 22 (IslamOnline) - New Delhi’s June 9 decision on air spaces is described by a Pakistani official as “totally cosmetic”.

Maj Gen Rashid Qureshi, Pakistan's official spokesman, said Friday, June 21, that "all issues could be discussed if India resumes the talks to discuss de-escalation as well as other thorny issues, including Kashmir".

Gen. Qureshi also disclosed that the Indian "gesture" on airspace over flights was yet to be officially communicated to Pakistan.

Islamabad said it has not received anything in writing from the Indian government or the International of Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Officials of the Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), informed reporters in Karachi that they have not received any formal notification from India.

Indian officials, however, claimed that New Delhi's decision was conveyed through the diplomatic channel.

Pakistan today linked its response to the Indian decision of opening its air corridor to Pakistani flights, to resumption of dialogue to resolve all issues, including Kashmir.

"Whatever Indians have done so far is totally cosmetic and to ease their own problems and we do not want to respond to such measures. What we are looking for is intimation of talks to resolve all disputes, especially the issue of Jammu and Kashmir," he was quoted by Pakistani media as saying today.

The two countries' armies continued their low-key war on the international borders as well as the Line of control in Jammu & Kashmir. Friday witnessed artillery and mortar shelling between Indian and Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Drass and Kargil sectors without any casualty or damage on Indian side, a Defense spokesman of Northern command said in Delhi today.

He said Pakistani troops targeted some forward areas of Kargil and Drass with artillery and mortar fire since Friday, June 21, forcing Indian troops to retaliate.

"The exchange between the two sides continued till 0600 hours without any damage or loss of life on our side", he said, adding losses on the Pakistani side could not be ascertained. Pakistani troops fired a few mortar shells in International Border on Sangral area in R S Pura sector Friday, a BSF spokesman said.

He said there has also been small arms intermittent firing exchange between the two sides along the border in Samba, Akhnoor and Hiranagar sectors during last 24 hours "but no casualty was reported on our side so far".

However, towards the west on the Rajasthan border along Ganganagar sector tension eased following a flag meeting Wednesday, June 19, between officials of security agencies from Indian and Pakistan. The flag meeting was held opposite Khamesha Kothi on the zero-line in Ganganagar sector, Indian sources said.

According to the Indian side, the meeting was sought by Pakistani rangers after retaliatory shelling from the Indian side on Wednesday destroyed one of their posts, a watch tower and several bunkers, the sources said. At least 10 rangers are believed to have been killed in the Indian shelling. The body of Masood Ahmed, a Pakistani officer of the lance nayak rank, who was killed in the crossfire while trying to sneak into India, was handed over after the flag meeting. Pakistani rangers too fired on the Indian patrol party killing Sumer Singh, an Assistant Commandant.

A clear sign of de-escalation came today when Indian troops stationed along the border started getting leave. Like Jammu, Jodhpur's railway station is also overflowing with Army jawans queuing up to go home. To cope up with the large number of outward bound soldiers, the Railways have now arranged special trains from the border areas to different destinations.

During the last few days the Indian Defense Minister has repeatedly said that the infiltration of militants from Pakistani territory into Kashmir "has almost ended." He repeated this in Srinagar yesterday.

Fernandes indirectly blamed Pakistan for the unrest in Kashmir. "Had Kashmir not been in the envelope of terrorism, it would have been recognized as a paradise on earth," said Fernandes. "This situation has been created by our neighbor," he said, adding that the "disillusioned, angry and often annoyed youth also chose the wrong path and brought Kashmir to a position, where it is presently."

Pakistan, on the other hand, says that India's statements that cross-border militancy in Kashmir is almost at an end is a "face-saving measure" aimed at appeasing its public ahead of a climb-down after taking the Subcontinent to the brink of war.

Analysts said the hardliner Indian BJP leadership wanted to de-escalate, while keeping its pride intact after sending hundreds of thousands of troops to the borders with Pakistan. "The massing of troops on the border with Pakistan proved to be a wild goose chase for India as Islamabad firmly resisted New Delhi's coercive diplomacy," Maria Sultan, an analyst at Islamabad's Institute of Strategic Studies, told AFP.

Sultan added India was being forced to de-escalate because of economic pressure caused by the highly publicized pull-out of United Nations workers' families and staff from a swathe of foreign embassies this month.