Pakistan denies Indian president’s request to use its airspace for overflight
Fm Quraishi 1
Pakistan has decided to refuse a request by India to allow its president to use Pakistani airspace for his flight to Iceland, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi announced on Saturday.
The decision to deny Indian President Ram Nath Kovind the use of Pakistani airspace was approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan in view of India’s continuing oppression of the people in occupied Kashmir, the minister told state broadcaster PTV.
Qureshi said New Delhi’s “barbarism” in 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 Indian authorities imposed a crippling curfew in occupied Kashmir before revoking the region’s special autonomy.
The minister said Pakistan has shown “restraint” in reaction to India’s moves in Kashmir but that New Delhi is refusing to budge from its stubbornness and denying basic facilities to the residents of occupied Kashmir.
“In view of this, we have decided to not allow the Indian president to use our airspace” for his flight to Iceland, he told PTV.
