Former envoy lauds India's decision to allow Pak PM's aircraft to use its airspace

Former Indian Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia, Ashok Sajjanhar lauded India's decision to permit Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's aircraft to use its airspace to travel to Sri Lanka, adding that tense relations between the two countries should not stand in the way of views, opinions and cooperation.

"It is a good and positive decision that India has taken to permit Imran Khan's aircraft to overfly the airspace of India to visit Sri Lanka on February 23. India is a large country, India is a magnmous country. It is a normal global international protocol to allow the aircraft of traveling heads of states, heads of governments to overfly this space. So I think it is very appropriate," he said.

Sajjanhar further remarked that India has taken this stand when required and that tense relations between the two countries should not stand in the way of normal exchange of views, opinions and cooperation.

He further said that India can oversee all the things, including the fact that in the past, Pakistan had not allowed Indian aircraft carrying VVIPs to use its airspace.

Earlier today, India allowed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's aircraft to use Indian Air Space, according to informed sources. Imran Khan will be travelling to Sri Lanka on his maiden visit on February 23.

In 2019, Pakistan had denied opening its airspace for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flights to the US and Saudi Arabia citing alleged human rights violations in Kashmir. India took up the denial of permission to VVIP flight with an International Civil Aviation Orgsation.

Under normal circumstances, the VVIP aircraft are granted permission by countries. However, Pakistan's denial of permission to VVIP aircraft was an aberration.

( With inputs from ANI )