New Delhi: Dismissing false Pakistani media reports, Indian government sources on Tuesday said Pakistan strangely did not make an exception for visiting Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad and had banned the aircraft carrying him from entering Pakistani airspace through the direct air route that passes through India. Since the military tensions with India last month, Pakistan has prevented commercial aircraft from entering its airspace from India and this surprisingly applied to the aircraft carrying the Malaysian PM as well who was on his way to Pakistan, sources said.
Sources added that even though Indian aviation regulator DGCA had given overflight clearance to the Malaysian PM’s flight, it had to take a longer route to reach Pakistan because Islamabad denied permission. The Malaysian PM was the chief guest at the Pakist-an National Day celebrations on March 23. All flights, including international flights, flying westward from/over Pakistan are not being allowed to fly over India by Pakistan even though India hasn’t put any restriction, sources pointed out.
“Reports regarding denial of overflight by India to Malaysian PM on his recent trip to Pakistan are false and motivated. The truth is that Pakistan has blocked it’s own airspace from flights which are overflying India. Ther-efore, even though DGCA had given overflight clearance, the flight, it had to take a longer route beca-use Pakistan denied permission,” Indian government sources said.
“It is strange that even for their national day gu-est from Malaysia, Pakist-an could not make an exception, thereby resulting in a longer flight by Malaysia PM. It may also be noted that all flights flying westward from/over Pakistan are not being allowed to fly over India by Pakistan even though India hasn’t put any restriction,” sources added.
