Once again, Pakistan refuses to allow PM Modi to use its airspace

Pakistan has once again denied India the permission for access of its airspace for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flight to Saudi Arabia, ahead of his upcoming visit to the middle-eastern nation. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a statement that Pakistan will not allow PM Modi to use the country's airspace, adding that the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad has been informed about this decision in written form.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday to attend an international business forum and hold talks with senior leaders of the oil-rich Muslim nation.

It may be recalled that earlier in September 2019, Pakistan had refused to allow Prime Minister Modi's flight to use its airspace for his visit to attend the UN General Assembly in the United States of America. Pakistan also rejected India's request to allow President Ram Nath Kovind to use its airspace for his flight to Iceland in September.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had strongly objected to Islamabad's decision, saying that Pakistan should reflect upon its decision to deviate from well established international practice and reconsider its old habit of misrepresenting the reasons for taking unilateral action.

"We regret the decision of the Government of Pakistan to deny overflight clearance for the VVIP special flight for a second time in two weeks, which is otherwise granted routinely by any normal country. Pakistan should reflect upon its decision to deviate from well established international practice, as well as reconsider its old habit of misrepresenting the reasons for taking unilateral action," Kumar had said earlier.

Pakistan decided to fully close its airspace in February after Indian Air Force launched airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot. On May 15, Pakistan decided to extend its airspace ban for flights to India till May 30. Islamabad, however, decided to fully open its airspace for all civilian traffic on July 16.

Again in August, Pakistan decided that it will be closed to India from August 6 till September 5 between 2:45 am to 11 am (local time) every day except Sundays, according to the Notice to Airmen (NOTAMS) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The CAA had made changes in routes for all airlines specifically for the Lahore region and increased the minimum limit of the altitude of flights, ARY News reported.

Tensions between India and Pakistan touched a new high after PM Modi-led government at the Centre abrogated Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, on August 5.

The BJP-led Centre also passed a bill converting Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory with a legislature, while hiving off Ladakh as a separate Union Territory without legislature.