Earlier Pakistan had denied airspace permission to PM Modi’s flight to the US for the UN General Assembly session on September 20.
New Delhi: Pakistan has once again denied the permission to use its airspace to India. It has not given clearance to PM Modi’s special aircraft to fly over the country. PM Modi will leave for a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia today. There he will attend an investment summit. However, Pakistan has denied airspace permission to him.
India approaches ICAO
According to Government sources, India has approached the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) after Pakistan’s move. Slamming Islamabad’s stand, the sources said such overflight clearances for VVIP special flights were granted routinely by “any normal country.”
Also Read: Pakistan’s ‘one-trick pony’ act on Kashmir has no resonance in UN: India
The latest sources said “Overflight clearances are sought, and granted by other countries as per prescribed ICAO guidelines and India will continue to seek such overflight clearances. Separately, we have taken up the matter of such denial with the relevant international civil aviation body,”.
Pakistan denied airspace permission during UNGA
Earlier Pakistan had denied airspace permission to PM Modi’s flight to the US for the UN General Assembly session on September 20. In September, Pakistan rejected India’s request to allow Modi’s flight to use its airspace for his visit to the US to attend the UN General Assembly. It also refused India’s request to allow President Ram Nath Kovind to use its airspace for his flight to Iceland in the same month.
After Balakot, Pakistan closed its airspace:
In the month of February this year, Pakistan had fully closed its airspace after an Indian Air Force strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot. The country opened its airspace for all flights except for New Delhi, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur on March 27.
On May 15, Pakistan extended its airspace ban for flights to India till May 30. It fully opened its airspace for all civilian traffic on July 16, ending months of restrictions that had affected major international routes.
Pakistan has already suspended its trade with India and stopped the train and bus services in protest to India’s August 5 decision to end Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
Rise of tensions between both nations spiked after India abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcated it into Union Territories, evoking strong reactions from Pakistan. India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was an internal matter and also advised Pakistan to accept the reality.
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