Pakistan refuses to allow Indian PM’s plane to enter its airspace

SANAA, Sept. 18 (YPA) – Pakistan has rejected a request by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use its airspace during a trip to Germany, as tensions between the two countries over the disputed Kashmir region escalated, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Wednesday.

“Taking into account the situation in occupied Kashmir … we have decided not to allow the Indian prime minister to use our airspace,” Qureshi said in a video released by the Foreign Ministry.

The comments came against the backdrop of a decision by the government in New Delhi last August to abolish the autonomy that Kashmir has enjoyed since joining the Indian state in 1947 and impose strict security measures in the region, a move strongly opposed by Pakistan.

The Kashmir issue is the biggest controversy between the nuclear-armed neighbors, who have fought several wars for the disputed territory.