Pakistan declines India's request to open its airspace for Modi's flight
He said keeping in view the situation in occupied Kashmir, we have decided not to grant this request
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan on Wednesday has turned down an overflight request by India for Prime Minister Modi s upcoming US trip.
In a video message, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that a request was received from India that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wishes to go to Germany and seeks to use the airspace for an overflight on the 20th and wishes to use the same for a return flight on the 28th.
He went on to say that keeping in view the situation in occupied Kashmir and India s violations of rights in the occupied Kashmir, we have decided not to grant this request.
Earlier, New Delhi had formally requested Islamabad to give permission for PM Modi s plane to use Pakistani airspace last week.
On September 8, Pakistan had refused a request by India to allow Indian President Ram Nath Kovind to fly through its airspace towards Iceland due to New Delhi’s recent “behaviour.”
"The decision has been taken in view of India’s behaviour," Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had said in a statement.
In another setback to deteriorating relations between Pakistan and India, Mr Qureshi had put the responsibility of the escalating tensions on India due to its oppression in occupied Kashmir, where stringent curfew has been imposed since August 4.
While talking the national television, Mr Qureshi had maintained that India’s "barbarism" in Kashmir was a serious issue which he would take up with the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The minister had mentioned that Pakistan has shown restraint in reaction to India’s unilateral moves in occupied Kashmir while New Delhi has been denying basic needs and human rights to the people of Kashmir.
Earlier in February, Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian traffic when Indian Air Force (IAF) had violated its airspace along the LoC, ratcheting up tensions between nuclear-armed Islamabad and New Delhi. It reopened its skies for all civilian traffic in July, ending months of restrictions affecting major international routes.
