In an appropriate move, India has taken up Pakistan’s denial of use of its airspace to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flight with the International Civil Aviation Organisation. For Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia, India had sought overflight clearance from Pakistan for the Prime Minister’s aircraft. According to reports, India regrets Pakistan’s decision to yet again deny overflight clearance for the VVIP special flight, which is otherwise granted routinely by any normal country. India has taken up the issue of denial of overflight clearance with the relevant international civil aviation body, they said. “Overflight clearances are sought, and granted by other countries as per prescribed ICAO guidelines,” a source was quoted as saying.
Citing alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan on Sunday denied India’s request to allow Modi’s aircraft to move in its airspace for his visit to Saudi Arabia. In a statement on Sunday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan has decided to not allow Prime Minister Modi to use the country’s airspace, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. He said the decision has been taken in context of the “black day” and in view of the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, it added.
The development indicates the continued tension between the two neighbours, after they had engaged in an aerial fight in February following a terror strike in Jammu & Kashmir that killed 40 paramilitary personnel. India’s recent decision to withdraw the special status granted to Jammu & Kashmir and to divide it into two territories to be ruled directly from Delhi has also irked Islamabad. ICAO’s goal is to prevent friction and to promote cooperation among its 193 member nations in matters of civil aviation. It’s wrong on the part of Pakistan to deny permission to the head of its neighbouring country to fly on its airspace and ICAO should take necessary action against Islamabad.