KARACHI – Pakistan’s national carrier is avoiding Indian airspace in the wake of the recent tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, it emerged on Wednesday.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) which was earlier using the Indian airspace for flights to East Asian destinations is now avoiding the Indian airspace as both the countries are virtually on the brink of a war or skirmishes.
Soon after the horrific incident in Indian occupied Kashmir which left 26 dead, India pinned blame on Pakistan for the casualties and suspended the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) besides closing the airspace to Pakistan.
In retaliation, Pakistan also shut the airspace to Indian origin aircraft and urged the international community to launch investigations into the attack for a fair and impartial investigations.
As airspace has become the new battlefield for exerting pressure, both the countries are finding alternates so that the passengers are transported to their locations safely.
In this regard, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is now using airspace of China to transport passengers to East Asian countries, reported Independent Urdu.
The development coincidences with cancellation of all scheduled flights to Gilgit and Skardu for Wednesday amid intensified surveillance of the country’s airspace.
The measures are temporary and would be reviewed based on the evolving security situation in the region though the authorities have tightened the surveillance by implementing heightened security protocols and issuing the new directives to air traffic control.
According to the official sources, monitoring has been extended to include all foreign flights traversing Pakistani airspace, with particular scrutiny on flights arriving from India.
The decision comes as part of a broader effort to enhance national security and ensure immediate response to any unusual aerial activity.
Under the updated security guidelines, any suspicious flights will now require high-level clearance before being granted permission to proceed. The authorities have also instructed aviation officials to remain on high alert and to strictly adhere to the newly issued protocols.
In a late Tuesday statement, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said “credible intelligence” reports showed India intended to carry out a military action against Pakistan in next 24 to 36 hours on the pretext of baseless allegations of involvement in Pahalgam incident.
The minister said Pakistan has been the victim of terrorism itself and truly understands the pain of this menace.
“Unfortunately, rather than pursuing the path of reason, India has apparently decided to tread the dangerous path of irrationality and confrontation, which will have catastrophic consequences for the complete region and beyond,” the information minister emphasized.
