New Delhi : India has taken the matter of Pakistan’s move to deny permission to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special flight to use its airspace, to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), sources in the government have said. According to the sources, overflight clearances are sought and granted by other countries as prescribed by the ICAO guidelines.
India will continue to seek such overflight clearances. We have taken up the matter of such denial with the civil aviation body,” said the sources. “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,” added the sources.
This comes hours when Pakistani media quoted Pakistan foreign minister to report that the capital of Pakistan has turned down New Delhi’s request for the utilization of its airspace for Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia. “Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday proclaimed that Islamabad has denied New Delhi’s request to be used of airspace for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” reports Dawn.
According to media reports, India had sought Pakistan’s permission to use the country’s airspace on 28 October for Prime Minister Modi, World Health Organization will be visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to participate in an international business conference on 29 October.
Radio Pakistan reported that Qureshi said during a statement on Sunday that Indian high commissioner Ajay Bisaria will be informed of Islamabad’s call in a written kind. Pakistan had earlier conjointly denied Prime Minister Modi access to its air house for his visit to the United States of America to attend the 74th global organization General Assembly session on 20 September.
Prior to this, President Ram Nath Kovind had conjointly been denied permission to use Pakistan’s airspace for his official trip to Europe