Translated with AI
The Indian government has ordered a temporary closure of its airspace to Pakistani airlines amid rising tensions with Islamabad. The restrictions will come into effect from April 30 and will remain in place until at least May 23, Indian officials said.
"This measure is a mirror response to the Pakistani authorities' decision to suspend Indian airlines' flights over Pakistani territory," the Indian government said in a statement, adding that New Delhi's actions were aimed at "ensuring national security."
Earlier in the day, Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar said Islamabad had "credible intelligence" that India was planning a military strike on Pakistani soil within the next 24 to 36 hours. He said the attack could be motivated by an April 22 militant attack in the Indian-administered Kashmir region that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead in the town of Pahalgam.
Pakistan has denied any involvement in the incident and called for an independent investigation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised a “tough response” to those responsible and said the Indian military has been given “full operational freedom” to decide on the form and timing of its response.
Let us recall that earlier the Indian authorities announced their withdrawal from the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, cancelled visas of Pakistani citizens and recommended their citizens to leave the territory of the neighboring state. According to border services, about 800 Pakistanis left India, while about 1,500 Indians returned home.
The conflict between India and Pakistan, particularly over the disputed region of Kashmir, has been ongoing since both countries gained independence. They have engaged in open military clashes three times in the last 75 years. Both countries possess nuclear weapons, with open sources reporting 160-170 nuclear warheads each.
