Pakistan has completely shut down its airspace for 48 hours following India’s high-precision strikes on terror camps located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoJK) and deep inside Pakistani territory under Operation Sindoor.
Until now, Pakistan had only barred flights operated, owned, or leased by Indian carriers. But in the wake of the overnight military assault, Islamabad and the Pakistan Army’s headquarters in Rawalpindi have announced a blanket ban on airspace usage—even for domestic civilian aircraft. Only essential flights are currently being allowed.
Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority issued the alert, declaring the nation a no-fly zone. While Pakistan claims this is a “precautionary” measure, its top leadership has publicly vowed retaliation. Experts caution, however, that any military response now would not qualify as self-defense, but a clear escalation, given that India’s strikes were a targeted counter to terrorism linked directly to the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
The attack in Pahalgam was reportedly religiously motivated and occurred just days after a communal and provocative speech by Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir, intensifying scrutiny on Pakistan’s terror links.
Shortly after the Indian missile strikes—conducted between 1:05 am and 1:30 am IST—flights en route to Islamabad and Lahore were diverted to Karachi, overwhelming operations there. The full closure of Pakistani airspace soon followed.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has since convened the National Security Council to chart the country’s response.
Meanwhile, India has restricted civilian air traffic at several airports along the western border as a precaution. New Delhi has also issued a firm warning that any further aggression will be met with “resolute retaliation.”
Operation Sindoor, a tri-services effort by the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy, targeted nine key terror camps linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
