As many as 250 students from Kashmir studying in Central Asian countries will be unable to join their families for Id as a result of Pakistan’s decision to bar its airspace for India-bound flights.
The ban was imposed after India’s air strikes following the attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama in February. Pakistan recently extended the ban till June 15.
Aamir Janwari, a second year medical student at a university in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, told The Hindu over the phone that he and 28 other students had been trying to get tickets since March.
“The airlines keep cancelling flights. We feel stranded here,” Mr. Janwari said.
“I visited my home in Kashmir’s Sopore way back in August last year. We so wanted to be with our families on Id. I hope the Pakistani government will withdraw the ban order soon,” he said.
Ifshan Ashraf Trumboo, also a medical student from Kreeri in Baramulla, echoes Mr. Janwari’s travails.
“Ticket prices have gone up four-fold and become unaffordable for students trying to get home,” Mr. Trumboo said.
Appeal to PMs
He appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart, Imran Khan, to resume dialogue and resolve the issue, pointing out that between 250 and 300 students from Kashmir are enrolled in Central Asian universities. Nazeer Ahmad, a resident of Pulwama, whose son is enrolled in a medical college in Uzbekistan, said his Id celebrations were dampened this year.
“I have just one son. He is unable to travel on Id. It’s him we celebrate our Id with. The two countries need to mend relationships for the larger good,” he said.
The airspace has been closed since February 27. The ban has inflicted heavy losses on airlines, including Air India, with a loss of ₹5-7 crore every day. due to longer route through Europe and the U.S. apart from stopovers and refuelling costs.
