Modi denied permission to use Pakistan’s airspace

ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been denied permission to use Pakistan’s airspace, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi stated on Sunday.

According to a statement the foreign minister said the decision has been taken in context of Black Day being observed today by Pakistan, and in view of the continued gross human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.

The foreign minister said the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad will be informed of this decision in a written statement.

“Indian Prime Minister wanted to use our airspace but we denied permission in the perspective of black day being observed by Kashmiris today to condemn Indian occupation and ongoing grave human rights violations in Indian-occupied Kashmir,” foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in a statement.

The Indian Prime Minister had sought Pakistan’s permission to use the country’s airspace for his travel.

Qureshi did not disclose Modi’s destination but the Indian prime minister had reportedly sought permission to use Pakistan’s airspace to travel to Saudi Arabia, where he is due to attend an investment summit.

This is the third time in recent weeks that Islamabad has refused to allow Indian leaders to use its airspace.

Earlier, Islamabad turned down PM Modi’s request to use the country’s airspace to travel to New York to attend the UN General Assembly meeting in September.

Pakistan also rejected the Indian president’s request to use the Pakistani airspace to travel to Iceland.