Pakistan says Chopper carrying PoK 'PM' did not cross LoC

Islamabad, Oct 1: The Pakistani media has claimed that the helicopter carrying the 'Prime Minister' of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, Raja Farooq Haider, did not violate Indian airspace.

The 'prime minister' of PoK (which is known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Pakistan), Raja Farooq Haidar told Geo News that he was not travelling with any gunship helicopters and was flying to offer condolences to an acquaintance. He claimed that civilian helicopters can go up to the zero line, i.e the actual line of control.

According to news reports, Indian Army public relations officer Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand claimed that a helicopter violated "the air space" in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district at around 12:10 pm on Sunday.

The Indian Express had quoted the PoK tourism minister Mushtaq Minhas, who was also on board the helicopter, as saying their pilot did not get any message from the ATC on the Pakistani side that they had strayed.

Press Trust of India quoted the Army PRO as stating that sentries at three Indian forward posts used small arms to fire at the chopper, which forced it to withdraw.

The airspace violation comes amid tensions between India and Pakistan at the border and at the United Nations, where External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj accused Islamabad of "glorifying terrorists".