Sri Lanka has asked Pakistan government to start a Colombo-Karachi ferry service and liberalise air services during President Mahinda Rajapakse's recent state visit to neighbouring country, a senior minister said.
"At the moment, there are three flights a week to Pakistan from Sri Lanka, and two flights from Pakistan to Sri Lanka," Aviation Minister Mangala Samaraweera told journalists on Thursday.
"We have asked for daily flights to Karachi and main cities in the line of open air services agreements we have with Singapore and Maldives."
He said request was favourably received and Pakistan had agreed there was potential to increase tourism from Sri Lanka as a number of important places of Buddhist worship existed in that country.
He said there was a demand for a ferry service because of rapidly increasing trade between the two countries after a Free Trade Agreement was signed and Sri Lanka had asked to establish a ferry link to Karachi.
"President of Pakistan promised us a quick decision on the matter," Samaraweera said. "Such a link had existed before."
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