- By Abhishek Sheoran
- Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:51 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
India on Wednesday issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) banning Pakistani aircraft from using its airspace. Under the ruling, military and civil aircraft, either owned or operated by Pakistan, will not be allowed to enter India’s airspace till May 23.
The move came six days after Islamabad banned its airspace for Indian flights after New Delhi’s slew of harsh measures following a terror attack in Pahalgam.
Amid India's firm conviction to avenge the killing of 26 people at the hands of Pakistan-backed terrorists in Pahalgam, continuous ceasefire violations and cross-border activities along the Line of Control (LoC) over the past few days have increased.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, after meeting with the chiefs of the tri-forces, said they had a free hand from his side to choose timing, targets and mode of retaliation. He also expressed his full confidence in the ability of the Indian Armed Forces.
Another high-level meeting was conducted today, with Army Chief, NSA and EAM Jaishankar among the attendees.
Alarmed over the possibility of an Indian attack, Pakistan on Wednesday cancelled all flights to Gilgit, Skardu, and other areas of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, citing security reasons. Officials stated that the decision to suspend flights to the northern regions was made after a review of the national airspace security protocols. Strict monitoring of foreign flights has also begun.
Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, cautioned that the chances of conflict with India were gradually increasing, despite ongoing efforts by several countries to reduce tensions between the two neighbours.
Asif addressed concerns about the current security situation while speaking to reporters outside Parliament, news agency PTI reported.
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He said that Pakistan would respond firmly to any act of aggression from India.