Political and diplomatic flip – flopping as Pakistan in deeply mired in, can be seen in the fresh instance of it refusing the use of its airspace for international flights to and from Srinagar Airport for the Gulf countries. First it allowed the same only to be reversed the decision a week later. The use was not or any military aircraft to overfly its space but commercial civil flights and that also on weekly basis . Nearly two years ago, following Balakote air strikes by the Indian Air Force against its terror sponsoring and training camps, it had closed its airspace for Indian civilian flights for nearly 5 months but had to reverse its decision following India raising the issue with the UN’s aviation wing, International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Should it not be quite clear to those who nurse any type of allusions about non-seriousness of Pakistan to shun its hostile approach towards this country as denying this facility was aimed direct against the interests, travel costs, time and comforts of passengers of Jammu and Kashmir flying such international flights from Srinagar to Gulf countries and back to Srinagar. Is such a decision not straightaway aimed at ordinary passengers ? What if such decisions on reciprocating but perpetuating basis were taken against Pakistan by India too?
What has this decision motivated Pakistan, first be allowing its airspace and later suddenly withdrawing, for unknown reasons but probably in furtherance of its agenda to widen and deepen hostile postures against this country, resulting in the affected flights taking a longer route via Ahmedabad and equally taking nearly an hour extra, all going against the passengers of Jammu and Kashmir. Not only this, India has written to Pakistan about it but there has been no response from that side. What alternative is left with India except raising the issue at the appropriate forum at International Level, say at ICAO? It may be noted that during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir a few days ago, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had flagged off the inaugural Srinagar – Sharjah flight from Srinagar International Airport. That had marked the beginning of establishing a link between the two ends after a gap of 11 years.
Any move that was aimed at bringing about any sort of positive and developmental change and progress for the people of Jammu and Kashmir is appearing threateningly as an antidote to Pakistan in respect of its promoting and sustaining a terror agenda against this country. On second count too, in comparison to where that part of Kashmir under its illegal occupation stands in respect of connectivity let alone air connectivity also makes Pakistan jittery as people of Pakistani occupied areas of Kashmir continue to live a life bereft of modern , swift and comfortable connectivity and by stopping over space permission to Indian flights, it is in vain trying to camouflage its absolute weaknesses and continuous failures in matters of economic development in that part which continues to be illegally occupied by it. However, in the present era of fast IT revolution, facts and figures cannot any longer be suppressed from travelling far and wide within seconds, occupied parts of Kashmir by it being no exception.
Not only stopping at that , on diplomatic front one more deliberate goof by Pakistan to skip the NSA level regional meet on Afghanistan scheduled to be convened by India on November 10, only proves its non-seriousness towards regional obligations of member countries on the important issues. While five regional countries comprising Russia, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have been invited by India to attend the meet, Pakistan’s refusal proves yet again its bankrupt diplomatic policy and ”conventional” hostile attitude towards the host country . It may be recalled that Russia had convened such a meeting last month which India had attended. Moscow hosted nearly three round of talks in which though the US did not participate, yet a delegation of Talibani interim government too participated and where a contact, the first direct one, between the Indian representative and the Deputy Prime Minister of Afghan government took place. While rest of the expected participants have confirmed the participation, China so far, due to COVID -19 situation and strict quarantine regulations has not done so. The stand of Pakistan is all negative and unbecoming of a responsible country on sensitive issues like threats of terrorism from various groups in Afghanistan, drug trafficking, peace processes, economic and humanitarian issues emanating from the situation in Afghanistan etc which were to be discussed in the scheduled meet. Denying use of airspace for international flights on weekly basis between Srinagar and Gulf countries being not only the singular proof of Pakistan’s negative, hostile and non-cooperative attitude towards India even on basic and peoples friendly issues but even not attending the important meet on Afghanistan and regional peace process further proves the point.
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