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India has closed its airspace to all Pakistan-linked aircraft, including military flights, as tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors continue to mount following a deadly terrorist attack in the Indian-administrated Jammu and Kashmir.
The move comes in response to last week’s decision by Islamabad to bar Indian-owned or operated airlines from Pakistani airspace.
A Notice to Air Missions, which was published by New Delhi on Wednesday, said: “Indian airspace [is] not available to Pakistan registered aircraft and aircraft operated or leased by Pakistan airlines. These include military flights.”
The announcement means that India and Pakistan have now blocked their airspace to each other until at least May 23.
The only Pakistani carrier currently operating routes through India is Pakistan International Airlines, which flies to Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur.
The escalation between India and Pakistan started after the April 22 terrorist attack in India’s Jammu and Kashmir federal territory, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.
New Delhi blamed the incident on Islamabad, accusing the neighboring country’s government of supporting cross-border terrorism and insurgency. Islamabad denied the allegations, calling for an impartial investigation into the incident and accusing New Delhi of backing “terrorist networks” operating on Pakistani soil.
The two countries have a long-standing dispute over Kashmir, which is de facto divided by the Line of Control established after the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971.
Since the attack, India has ordered the expulsion of all Pakistanis from the country, the closure of the border between the two nations, and the suspension of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty. Pakistan responded by suspending all bilateral trade, including through third countries, halting special South Asian visas issued to Indian nationals, along with other tit-for-tat measures.
