Pakistan denies use of airspace to President Kovind for foreign visit

Pakistan has refused India’s request to allow President Ram Nath Kovind to use its airspace for his flight to Iceland, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday (September 7).

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. Khan’s government was under pressure from the Opposition and some ministers to impose a ban on India from using its airspace after India revoked special status of Kashmir.

Though, so far no decision was taken to impose the blanket ban but Pakistan showed its intention by disallowing President Kovind to use its airspace.

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Qureshi said that New Delhi’s tough stance on Kashmir was a serious issue which he would take up with the United Nations Human Rights Council. He noted that 34 days have elapsed since the Indian authorities imposed a crippling curfew in Kashmir before revoking the regions special status on August 5.

Pakistan had fully closed its airspace in February 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.

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 Kashmirs special status.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after India abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw Jammu and Kashmirs special status and bifurcated it into two 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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