Pakistan Shuts Down Airspace After India’s Operation Sindoor

Pakistan Closes Airspace Following India’s Airstrikes

Pakistan took the drastic step of closing its airspace at major airports in Lahore and Islamabad late Wednesday night, just hours after India launched airstrikes against alleged terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) issued a statement confirming the closure, saying that the airspace would be shut down for all commercial flights at these two key airports. However, Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport remains operational.

India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’

This move comes in response to India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’, a retaliatory strike against the devastating terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Indian security forces targeted nine suspected terror sites in Pakistan and PoK, claiming to have killed 26 militants in precise strikes.

India’s foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, emphasized that Pakistan had become a haven for terrorists and had failed to address global concerns. He stated that a group called the Resistance Front, linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, and that Pakistan had clear links to the militants.

According to Misri, despite credible intelligence and international pressure, Pakistan had not taken any action to dismantle the terror networks operating from its soil.

Pakistan’s Response

The Pakistan Airports Authority has also formally registered its concerns with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regarding the “serious risks” posed to civil aviation safety by India’s airstrikes.

Pakistan initially announced a 48-hour closure of its airspace for all air traffic on Wednesday after India’s strikes.