Islamabad, September 7
Pakistan has denied permission to President Ram Nath Kovind to use its airspace to fly to Iceland, prompting India to ask its neighbour to “recognize the futility of such unilateral actions”.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday that Pakistan had refused India's request to allow Kovind to use its airspace for his flight to Iceland.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to the development: "We regret the decision of the Government of Pakistan 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.
Kovind will embark on a visit to Iceland, Switzerland and Slovenia from Monday during, which he is expected to brief the top leadership in those countries on India's "national concerns", especially in view of terror incidents this year, including the Pulwama attack.
The decision was approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan in view of the tense situation in Kashmir, the minister told state broadcaster PTV.
Pakistan fully closed its airspace on February 26 after the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets struck a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist training camp in Balakot following the Pulwama terror attack in Kashmir in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
However, in March, it partially opened its airspace but kept its ban for the Indian flights. Agencies
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2HSeqPn
via Today’s News Headlines
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