Pakistan awaits India's response over airspace opening
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ISLAMABAD - Pakistan said on Sunday that there was no official communication with India about the opening of the airspace and Islamabad will wait for New Delhi's decision to lift the air restriction on its flights before taking a final call on lifting its airspace ban.
Pakistan has already indicated that it may lift the airspace ban along its eastern border with India, imposed on February 27 after the Balakot airstrike, to reciprocate India's decision to remove all restrictions on all air routes in the Indian airspace.
"We have already opened this point, Telem (near Ahmedabad), about two months ago, for India. It was India that has to open it now, enabling the flights to use this airspace," the Pakistani government official told PTI.
He said since there is no official communication between the two countries in this respect taken place yet "we will see what Notam (notice to airmen) it (India) issues today."
When asked about opening of other around 10 routes (points), the official said: "Once the Indian government lifts the air restriction on Pakistani flights on these routes, Pakistan will certainly follow suit."
It is expected that these points will gradually be opened this month.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) Friday said that temporary restrictions on all air routes in the Indian airspace, imposed by it on February 27, have been removed.
The IAF said it had removed restrictions that were imposed on all routes a day after its 12 Mirage 2000s crossed over to Pakistan and conducted air strikes in Balakot. Pakistan fully closed its airspace on February 27.
