FOLLOWING cutting off trade and train links and downgrad
ing diplomatic relations with New Delhi, the Government is now very aptly considering imposition of a blanket ban on the use of Pakistani airspace by flights taking off from India as well as the closure of its land route for India-Afghan trade.
The decision is being mulled following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently used Pakistani airspace on a state visit to France, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Earlier Pakistan had imposed the restrictions following Indian Air Force violated its airspace on 26 February and continued these till 15 March. Indeed the decision to ban the use of Pakistani airspace and land route will be taken keeping in view the legal formalities but in our view these are the steps in the right direction to send a loud and clear message to the world community as to what extent Pakistan can go for the Kashmiri people. We expect that like the earlier decisions, matters pertaining to closure of airspace and land route for Afghan-India trade will also be announced in a matter of no time without considering its financial impact on Pakistan. The way Prime Minister Imran Khan in an interview with the New York Times said that there is no point of talking to India, in our view, there is also no point of keeping any of its channel open to New Delhi which has laid a complete siege in occupied Kashmir over the last three weeks or so and never misses any opportunity to undermine Pakistan’s interests. It was also decided by National Security Committee that Pakistan will review bilateral arrangements with India. Time has also come that our government also takes a final decision on this at the earliest. It is India which is responsible for bringing the relations to the lowest ebb ever and we should not back pedal from these steps until and unless firm assurances are given that India will not only lift the siege and curfew in occupied Kashmir and end its tyranny there but also move seriously towards resolution of the festering dispute.
