Imran Khan Considering Total Closure Of Air Space To India: Pak Minister

Imran Khan on Monday said he would raise the Kashmir issue at every international forum (File)

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is considering a complete closure of air space to India and blocking its trade route to Afghanistan, a Pakistan minister tweeted on Tuesday. The threat comes amid tension between India and Pakistan over the scrapping of special status to Jammu and Kashmir and the state's bifurcation into two union territories.

"PM is considering a complete closure of air space to India. A complete ban on the use of Pakistani land routes for Indian trade to Afghanistan was also suggested in a cabinet meeting. Legal formalities for these decisions are under consideration. Modi has started, we'll finish," Pakistan's Science and Technology Minister Fawad Hussain tweeted.

Reacting to India's decision in Kashmir, Pakistan had expelled the Indian High Commissioner and downgraded diplomatic ties with New Delhi. India, however, maintained that the move was an internal matter and advised Pakistan to "accept reality".

Pakistan later approached the powerful United Nations Security Council, seeking its intervention in the matter. After a closed-door meeting, most of the members of the council reportedly agreed with India's stand that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with US President Donald Trump by his side at their meeting in France on Monday, reiterated India's stand, saying all issues between India and Pakistan were bilateral in nature.

Weeks after the snub at the UNSC, Mr Khan said on Monday that he would raise the Kashmir issue at every international forum, including the UN General Assembly.

"First, I believe, the entire nation should stand with the Kashmiri nation. I have said this that I will act as Kashmir's ambassador," Mr Khan was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

"I will tell the world about this, I have shared this with heads of state that I have been in contact with. I will raise this issue at the UN as well," he added, referring to his scheduled address to the UN General Assembly next month.

Pakistan has also threatened to move the International Court of Justice against India over its decisions in Kashmir.

Pakistan had closed its air space to Indian planes in February after the Indian Air Force destroyed a terror camp in Balakot in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in retaliation to the Pulwama attack. Indian carriers had suffered financial losses due to the country's move. Normal air traffic was restored in July.

With inputs from PTI