New Delhi:
Angry over Pakistan’s denial of its airspace to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flight to Saudi Arabia, India took up its neighbour to global aviation watchdog ICAO on Monday. India said that by continuously denying its airspace, Pakistan is violating the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s accepted global practices. Overflight clearances are sought and granted by other countries as prescribed by the ICAO guidelines. On Sunday, Pakistan had denied India's request to allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi's VVIP flight to use its airspace for his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, citing the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.
In an exclusive interview with News Nation’s Rahul Dabas, Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said there was no need for India to lodge complain against Pakistan at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), instead Swamy suggested that India should have simply divided Pakistan in four parts.
On Monday, the ICAO reacted to Pakistan’s denial of using its airspace saying, it cannot look into the matter as the aircraft involved in the incident does not fall under its provision.
"The Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), which ICAO helps governments to cooperate under, only applies to the operations of civilian aircraft and not to state or military aircraft," the ICAO spokesperson said. "Flights carrying national leaders are considered state aircraft, and are therefore not subject to ICAO provisions," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by PTI.
In a statement, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said Pakistan has decided not to allow Prime Minister Modi to use the country's airspace. He said the decision has been taken in context of the "black day" and in view of the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan was observing black day on Sunday in support of Kashmiris. Qureshi said the Indian High Commissioner is being informed of this decision in written form.
