Pakistan Firm, Not To Open Airspace

Pakistan has declined a request to open its airspace forcommercial flights until New Delhi removes its fighter jets from forwarding IAFairbases, Pakistan's Aviation Secretary Shah¬rukh Nusrat informed aparliamentary committee.

On February 26, Pakistan fully closed its airspace after theIndian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets struck a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) trainingcamp in Balakot following the Pulwama terror attack in Kashmir.

Aviation secretary Nusrat, who is also the Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), informed the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation that his department has intimated Indian officials that Pakistani airspace would remain unavailable for use by India until the country withdraws its fighter jets from forwarding positions.

"The Indian government approached asking us to open theairspace. We conveyed our concerns that first India must withdraw its fighterplanes placed forward," said Nusrat.

He further informed the committee that Indian officials havecontacted Pakistan requesting it to lift the airspace restrictions.