Pakistan allows PM Narendra Modi’s plane to fly over its airspace

Islamabad, June 11 (Only Kashmir): Hoping that New Delhi would respond to Islamabad’s offer for peace dialogue, Pakistan in a major significant development on Tuesday approved India’s request to allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aircraft fly over its airspace to Bishkek to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit this week,
Pakistan had fully closed its airspace on February 26 after an Indian Air Force (IAF) claim to strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp in Balakot. Since then, it has only opened two routes, both of them pass through southern Pakistan, of the total 11.
The Pakistani official confirmed to PTI that the Imran Khan government has “approved in principle the Indian government’s request to let Prime Minister Modi’s aircraft fly over the Pakistani airspace to Bishkek”.
“The Indian government will be conveyed about the decision once the procedural formalities are completed. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will also be directed to notify the airmen subsequently,” the official said, adding Pakistan was hopeful that India would respond to its offer for peace dialogue.
Pertinently, Prime Minister Khan has recently written a letter to his Indian counterpart stressing Pakistan requires a solution for all geopolitical issues including Kashmir between the two neighbouring states.
Earlier, Pakistan had given special permission to India’s then external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to fly directly through Pakistani airspace to attend the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meet in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on May 21.
IndiGo, India’s largest airline by share in domestic passenger market, has been unable to start direct flights from Delhi to Istanbul due to the closure of Pakistani airspace.
The low-cost carrier started the Delhi-Istanbul flight in March this year. It has to take the longer route every time over the Arabian Sea and make a stop either at Doha in Qatar or at Ahmedabad in Gujarat for refuelling.
Pakistan, however, has extended its partial airspace ban on eastern border with India until June 14.