Pak air turbulence
A day after India declared that Pakistan Occupied Kashmir will one day be a part of India’s jurisdiction, Islamabad responded by denying PM Modi’s plane the permission to fly through its air space for his upcoming visit to the United States.
(Earlier in the day, India had sent a former request to Pakistan for the use of its airspace for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flight to New York. Earlier this month, Pakistan had also denied permission to President Ram Nath Kovind to fly through its airspace during an official trip to Iceland. )
The foreign ministry in New Delhi said it regretted Pakistan's decision to deny overflight clearance for the VVIP special flight, "which is otherwise granted routinely by any normal country". ‘‘We call upon Pakistan to recognize the futility of such unilateral actions," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
India had requested Pakistan to allow PM Modi to use its airspace to travel to Germany on the 21st (Sept) and return on the 28th (Sept), Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said. Announcing the decision via a video statement, he added the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad had been informed of Pakistan's decision. "In the light of the current situation in Kashmir, India's attitude and atrocities there, we have decided to not allow our airspace for the flight of the Indian prime minister," he said.
Pakistan had closed its airspace after the air strikes on the Jaish-e Mohammad terror camp at Balakot on February 26. But it opted for a partial opening again in July.
Sajjad Hussain adds from Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday also urged the international community to take note of India's aggressive posturing on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, warning that such "belligerent" statements have the potential of further escalating tensions and seriously jeopardising peace in the region. "These remarks are an obvious manifestation of India's utter frustration over the continued international censure of its egregious human rights violations in Kashmir," the statement said. Prime Minister Imran Khan has vowed to raise the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly session in New York on September 27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to speak on the same day.