New Delhi: Pakistan's request for Indian Air Force helicopters sans pilots for relief operations has been rejected by India.
New Delhi had proposed to send its men and machines to Islamabad for relief and rescue operations following the October 8 earthquake.
According to an External Ministry statement, Pakistan?s foreign secretary Riaz Mohammed Khan called his Indian counterpart Shyam Saran "to convey that Pakistan would be willing to receive helicopters from India for relief work but without Indian pilots and crews".
Saran conveyed to his Pakistani counterpart that it would not be possible for India to provide helicopters, which are in service with its armed forces without pilots and crews.
Saran repeated India's 'willingness to undertake relief work in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)' that lie close to the Line of Control (LoC).
Pakistan has already accepted three relief consignments -- including food, medicines, tents and plastic sheets -- from India for quake victims amid a worldwide aid effort to reach survivors.
India, which agreed on Saturday to a Pakistani request to fly helicopter sorties close to the LoC, also asked Islamabad to pass on information concerning the proposed sorties to Indian military officials in New Delhi "as early as possible".
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