PIA lands in Afghanistan after 23 years

Commercial flights between Afghanistan and Pakistan have resumed after 23 years

(CNN) -- A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight has landed at Kabul airport, the first in 23 years.

A 32-member delegation took the flight Tuesday, headed by Pakistan Federal Minister for Labor, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Awais Ghani and Secretary for Information Syed Anwar Mahmood.

A group of editors of Pakistan newspapers and other journalists were also in the delegation.

PIA Chairman Lt. Gen Hamid Nawaz Khan told CNN he hoped the flights would help bring Pakistan and Afghanistan closer, adding that more routes were under consideration.

Last month, an agreement was signed by Pakistani Minister for Finance Shauket Aziz and his Afghan counterpart Hedayat Amin Arsala allowing PIA and Afghanistan's Ariana Airlines to start weekly flights.

Ready to play a role

After reaching Kabul, the Pakistani officials had a meeting with Afghan Interim Government Chairman Hamid Karzai and Afghan Defense Minister Marshall Faheem.

They discussed the India-Pakistan tension, operations on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and about al Qaeda presence in the region.

Minister Ghani offered to help Afghanistan develop its communications and media organizations, including radio and television networks.

In return, Karzai said he was ready to play a role to ease tension between India and Pakistan, adding that if war broke out it was Afghanistan that would suffer most.

Karzai also said his government will be releasing more Pakistani prisoners soon, but urged Pakistan to release Afghani prisoners in Pakistan as soon as possible.