Islamabad, September 20 (HS): Pakistan has extended its airspace restrictions on all Indian-owned and Indian-operated aircraft until October 23, barring them from entering its skies. According to a new NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority on Friday, the ban applies to Indian commercial airlines, India-registered civilian aircraft, and military flights.

The decision comes in the wake of escalating tensions following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Islamabad continues to raise the issue on international forums, accusing India of “punishing Pakistan” with retaliatory measures, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

Soon after New Delhi announced its decision to suspend the treaty, Pakistan retaliated by closing its airspace to Indian airlines. In response, India also shut down its skies for Pakistani carriers on April 30. Islamabad had initially extended the ban until May 23, before prolonging it, and has now pushed it further to October.

Pakistan alleges that on May 6–7, India carried out unprovoked strikes on its cities, prompting Islamabad to launch Operation Banyan-Um-Marsus, which it claims inflicted damage on India. New Delhi, however, maintained that its operations targeted “terror camps” across the border. The clashes escalated rapidly but subsided after nearly 87 hours, with hostilities officially halting on May 10.

This is not the first time such bans have been imposed. During the 1999 Kargil conflict and after the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, Pakistan had similarly closed its airspace to Indian airlines, severely disrupting regional connectivity.

The continuation of Pakistan’s current ban underscores the deep strain in bilateral ties, with both nuclear-armed neighbors showing no signs of reconciliation in the near future.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar