Pakistan refuses Indian aircraft fly over its airspace

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan has rejected New Delhi's request to let Indian President aircraft fly over its airspace to Iceland.

According to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry on Saturday, the Indian government requested to allow Indian President Ram Nath Kovind’s aircraft to fly over Pakistani airspace for his scheduled visit to Iceland.

"Pakistan has rejected the Indian request due to their behavior and carrying out atrocities in Indian occupied Kashmir where they have locked the valley in the last 34 days," Pakistani Foreign Minister told state-run Pakistan Television.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi added that unilateral Indian government actions in occupied Kashmir have endangered the regional peace and security.

According to Indian media, President Kovind's aircraft will depart for a state visit to Iceland, Switzerland and Slovenia on Sept. 9.

On Aug. 27, Pakistan federal minister Fawad Chaudhry said his country is considering a complete closure of airspace to India.

"PM is considering a complete closure of Air Space to India, a complete ban on use of Pakistan Land routes for Indian trade to Afghanistan was also suggested in cabinet meeting, legal formalities for these decisions are under consideration...#Modi has started we'll finish!", Chaudhry said on Twitter.

Tension between the two South Asian nuclear neighbors mounted in recent weeks after the Indian government scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on Aug. 5.

Jammu and Kashmir is under near-complete lockdown since Aug. 5 after India scrapped the special provisions, according to several rights group, including the Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

From 1954 until Aug. 5, 2019, Jammu and Kashmir had special provisions under which it enacted its own laws. The provisions also protected the region's citizenship law, which barred outsiders from settling in and owning land in the territory.

India and Pakistan both hold Kashmir in parts and claim it in full. China also controls part of the contested region, but it is India and Pakistan who have fought two wars over Kashmir.