Pakistan considering complete closure of its airspace to India

By Nasir Aijaz
AsiaN Correspondent

Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan is considering shutting down Pakistani airspace and land routes for India, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said.

The federal minister said this in a post to his 2.4 million followers on Twitter after attending a meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by Khan.

Fawad said the prime minister was considering a complete closure of airspace to India. He also suggested a complete ban on Indian trade to Afghanistan through Pakistani land routes.

“Legal formalities for these decisions are under consideration… #Modi has started we’ll finish!” added the federal minister.

Pakistan had shut its air space to India on eastern border since February after Indian air strikes in Balakot area of the country. Since then the ban on airspace along the eastern border has been extended several times and removed only in July for civilian flights as the international airlines suffered huge financial losses due to rerouting flights for India around Pakistan.

India and Pakistan had imposed complete airspace ban to each other in 2002 during the military government of Gen. Musharraf.

Meanwhile India’s firing at Line of Control killed two Pakistani civilians, including a minor girl, Inter-Services Public Relations said.