Pakistan rejects India’s request to open airspace for PM Modi, MEA says ‘regrets decision’
Diplomacy

Pakistan rejects India’s request to open airspace for PM Modi, MEA says ‘regrets decision’

Modi is travelling to the US via Germany over the weekend to attend the 'Howdy Modi' event and also address the UN General Assembly.

   
Prime Minister Narendra Modi | File photo | PIB

Prime Minister Narendra Modi | File photo | PIB

Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday said it has rejected India’s request to allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s VVIP flight to use its airspace for his upcoming visit to the US via Germany.

“India had requested Pakistan to allow Modi to use its airspace to travel to Germany on the 21st (Sept) and return on 28th (Sept),” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said.

Announcing the decision via a video statement, Qureshi said the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad had been informed of Pakistan’s decision to not allow prime minister’s Modi’s special Air India One aircraft to fly over the country, the Geo News reported.

“We regret decision of Pakistan to deny overflight clearance for the VVIP special flight for a second time in 2 weeks, which is otherwise granted routinely by any normal country,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Prime Minister Modi is travelling to the US on September 21 to attend the ‘Howdy Modi’ diaspora event on September 22 and address the UN General Assembly on September 27.


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