Modi uses Pak airspace for traveling to Paris

ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who declined Pakistan’s permission to use its airspace in May last when he proceeded to Kirgiz capital Bishkek to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, on Thursday used Pakistan’s airspace for traveling to Paris from New Delhi. Pakistan gave permission on the special request of India in May last since then the airspace was closed. He used much longer root for reaching Bishkek. Modi left on a three-nation tour with France being his first stop on Thursday, followed by the UAE and Bahrain. He is holding bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris with counter-terrorism and defence topping the agenda of discussions. France was among the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) members which opposed Pakistan in the consultative meeting regarding Pakistan complaints against India last week. Indian sources conceded that Narendra Modi on Thursday used the Pakistani airspace, the first time since the February aggression by India, to travel to France for a bilateral meet. The airspace was shut following the so-called airstrike by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on February 26 following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack which killed over 40 CRPF personnel in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK). Modi left on a three-nation tour with France being his first stop, followed by UAE and Bahrain. Modi is also scheduled to address the Indian community in France on Friday and will inaugurate a memorial for victims of an Air India crash several decades ago. He will then depart for UAE, visit Bahrain on Saturday and return to France for the G7 Summit on Sunday where he is slated to have meeting with US President Donald Trump and discuss mediation offer by him.