New Delhi— In a sharp escalation of bilateral tensions, India has closed its airspace to all flights owned and operated by Pakistani carriers until May 23, following a similar move by Islamabad last week.
A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was issued by Indian authorities on Wednesday, barring Pakistani aircraft from entering Indian airspace between April 30 and May 23. The action comes in response to Pakistan’s decision to block Indian-operated flights from its own airspace days earlier.
The tit-for-tat move follows the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where 26 people—mostly tourists—were killed in what India has described as a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist strike. The attack has triggered a series of retaliatory measures from New Delhi.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review the situation and chart the government’s next steps. This marked the second CCS meeting in less than a week. The high-level panel includes Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Following the attack, India has already taken a string of punitive steps against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down the Attari-Wagah border crossing, revoking visas for Pakistani nationals, blocking dozens of Pakistan-based YouTube and social media accounts, and scaling down diplomatic missions in both countries.
The reciprocal airspace closure marks another chapter in the rapidly deteriorating relationship between the nuclear-armed neighbors. (Source: IANS)
