Pakistan putting pressure on India by shutting their airspace: OP Gupta

As Pakistan is yet to open its airspace for Indian flights since Balakot air strikes, former Ambassador O P Gupta on Saturday claimed that Pakistan is using this as a bargaining chip to put pressure on India.

New Delhi: More than three months since Indian Air Force conducted air strikes at Jaish-e-Mohammad terror base in Balakot, Pakistan is yet to open its airspace for Indian flights.

Speaking exclusively to ETV Bharat, former Ambassador O P Gupta claimed that Pakistan is using this as bargaining chip to put pressure on India.

"That is a normal thing when one country wants to put pressure on another through economic routes. With this overflight business Pakistanis are trying to put pressure on India," he said. Pakistan had decided to keep airspace closed for Indian flights till June 28. Reportedly, Imran Khan government wants assurance from India that it will not repeat an air strike like Balakot in future. Till then, Pakistan plans to keep their airspace close for Indian flights. However, in May, Pakistan allowed former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's flight to pass through its airspace to take part in Foreign Ministers' SCO summit in Bishkek. Amid rising clamours within the Pakistani media that the MEA India has approached Imran Khan government for allowing to use its airspace for PM Modi's flight to reach Bishkek, Indian government selected an alternative route for PM's flight avoiding Pakistan altogether.