ISLAMABAD – Pakistan made a rare exception for Indian External AffairsMinister Sushma Swaraj to fly directly through its airspace to attend theShanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Minister’s meet in Bishkeklast week, reported Indian media.
According to *The Hindu*link,officials in Islamabad and New Delhi also confirmed the development.
The Indian minister was in Kyrgyzstan on May 21 and 22, along with ForeignMinister Shah Mehmood Qureshi for the SCO summit.
“The Indian government had requested us to allow Swaraj to fly overPakistan to avoid the longer route, and we gave them permission,” ForeignMinistry Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal was quoted in the report as saying.
Indian government sources in Delhi confirmed, “The overflight permissionwas granted by Pakistan based on route permission filed by relevant[Indian] authorities. External Affairs Minister’s flight to Bishkek wasover Pakistani airspace both ways.”
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Without the special permission from Pakistan, Swaraj’sflight, which took four hours to the Kyrgyz capital, would have takennearly eight hours each way.
Thousands of travellers suffered flight cancellations, delays and soaringticket prices after a suicide bombing in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK)sparked tensions between the neighbours in February this year.
