Karachi/Lahore: Amid rising tensions between Pakistan and India following the Pahalgam incident, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has announced a partial closure of specific airspace regions over Karachi and Lahore for a month.
According to a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) issued by the PCAA, designated areas within the Karachi and Lahore Flight Information Regions (FIRs) will remain closed daily from 4:00 AM to 8:00 AM, starting May 1 through May 31, 2025. Despite the restrictions, commercial flights will continue using alternative routes.
The decision comes in the wake of increased military and diplomatic strain between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Just a day earlier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had to suspend flights to Gilgit and Skardu due to a temporary airspace shutdown. The flights were resumed after a three-hour closure, according to PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez.
In response to the heightened tensions, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman and former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari warned that any Indian aggression would be met with a strong retaliatory response. In an interview with Sky News, he emphasized that the Pakistani Air Force, Army, and Navy are fully capable of defending the nation.
"We do not seek conflict, but history shows that escalation can lead to full-scale war," Bilawal said. He urged the international community to intervene and ensure an impartial investigation into the Pahalgam incident to prevent further escalation.
Addressing a rally in Sukkur, last week, Bilawal also criticized India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it an attack on Pakistan’s water sovereignty. “The Indus River belongs to us, and either our water will flow or their (indian) blood,” he declared.
He added that India’s unilateral action to nullify an internationally recognized agreement is unacceptable both diplomatically and to the Pakistani people.
