Pakistan denies use of airspace to India president

Pakistan yesterday said it had denied India's President Ram Nath Kovind permission to fly through its airspace -- access to which is usually granted -- due to New Delhi's recent "behaviour".

The decision comes at a time of high tension between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

"The Indian President had sought permission to use Pakistan's airspace to travel to Iceland, but we decided not to permit him," Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in a statement.

Pakistan had closed its airspace to Indian traffic in February after a suicide bomb attack killed dozens of Indian troops in Kashmir ratcheted up tensions between the two neighbours and prompted tit-for-tat aerial dogfights.

It reopened its skies for all civilian traffic in July, ending months of restrictions that had affected major international routes.

Meanwhile, India's national security advisor yesterday said lifting of New Delhi's communications restrictions in Indian Kashmir depends on Pakistan.

More than 200 suspected militants are trying to cross into Indian Kashmir from Pakistan, Ajit Kumar Doval said, accusing Islamabad of trying to stoke violence in the region.

Pakistan condemned India's decision last month to revoke the constitutional autonomy of Kashmir and Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday vowed the fullest possible response to India's actions in the disputed territory.

"There are about 230 persons ready to infiltrate from different parts of Kashmir," Ajit Doval told reporters.

"A large number of weapons are being smuggled and people in Kashmir are being told to create trouble," said Doval, who is considered one of the architects of the policy to withdraw Kashmir's special status and integrate it fully into India.

India imposed a clampdown in India Kashmir in early August to prevent large scale violent protests. Some curbs have been eased, but mobile phone and internet services are still curtailed because they may be used to spark unrest, Doval said.

Ram Nath Kovind