Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday announced that Islamabad had denied New Delhi’s request for use of airspace for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Indian government had sought Pakistan’s permission to use the country’s airspace on October 28 for the Indian premier who will be visiting Saudi Arabia to participate in an international business conference on October 29.
According to Radio Pakistan, the foreign minister in a statement said that the decision had been made in “context of today’s (Sunday’s) Black Day and in view of the continued gross human rights violations in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir”.
The minister said that the Indian high commissioner was being informed of this decision in writing.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will leave for Saudi Arabia on October 28 to participate in the same conference being held in Riyadh.
The government in September had also denied India’s request for Modi to use Pakistani airspace for his flight to Germany. “Keeping in view the situation in Occupied Kashmir and India’s attitude witnessed in the tyranny and oppression (suffered by Kashmiris) and violations of rights in the region, we have decided not to grant this request,” Qureshi had said.
A source at the time had said that as per international law, Pakistan was bound to grant permission to the Indian premier. If it is rejected, India can appeal to the International Civil Aviation Organisation as a result of which Pakistan may be required to pay a hefty fine.
