Pakistan denies use of airspace to Indian president
Tensions mount since India revoked Kashmir’s limited autonomy last month
Islamabad has turned down New Delhi’s request sent earlier this week seeking permission for Indian President Ram Nath Kovind’s flight to travel through Pakistani airspace.
The denial comes amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear armed South Asian neighbors over India’s decree to abrogate the constitutional special status given to its side of the disputed region of Kashmir. After consulting Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told media outlets that “given the situation where India has taken a rigid position, unwilling to lift the imposed curfew, and depriving people (of Indianadministered Kashmir) of basic facilities, Pakistan has decided not to allow India and its President use of our airspace.”
He said: “The Indian President had sought permission to use Pakistan’s airspace to travel to Iceland, but we decided not to permit him.” It is unclear if Pakistan’s decision has been formally conveyed to the Indian government but a senior foreign office official requesting not to be named told Arab News that the permission was sought for this Sunday.
Dr. Mohammad Faisal, the Foreign Office spokesman, earlier described the repeal of articles 370 and 35-A by the Indian government as a step from “occupation to annexation” and an attempt to turn the globally recognized disputed territory into a province, in violation of international law and UN Security Council Resolution 47. Dialogue between Pakistan and India has been suspended since the first term in office of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated over recent years, but India’s latest move puts regional peace at stake. New Delhi calls this an internal matter which it claims can be resolved bilaterally with Pakistan.