Kashmir Attack Fallout: Pakistan closes airspace to Indian airlines
Shafaq News/ Pakistan on Thursday shut its airspace to all Indian-owned and Indian-operated airlines and issued a strong warning over India’s suspension of a key water-sharing treaty.
The closure prompted major Indian carriers including Air India and IndiGo to issue travel advisories. Air India said several long-haul flights to North America, Europe, the UK, and the Middle East would be rerouted due to the restriction.
Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors have sharply deteriorated after 26 Indian citizens were killed in an attack at a tourist site in the Pahalgam area of Kashmir on Tuesday.
Indian authorities said the assault bore “cross-border” links and named three suspects—two of whom were identified as Pakistani nationals. However, no conclusive evidence has been made public.
Following the incident, India responded by downgrading diplomatic ties, closing the only official land crossing between the countries, and suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, a rare symbol of bilateral cooperation.
The announcement from Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office, issued after a National Security Committee meeting, rejected India’s moves and vowed reciprocal measures. “Any threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty and the security of its people will be met with firm reciprocal measures in all domains,” the statement said. It added that “any attempt to stop or divert water that rightfully belongs to Pakistan will be considered an act of war.”
Moreover, Pakistan announced the suspension of trade with India and the expulsion of Indian diplomats. Islamabad described India’s actions as “unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, and devoid of legal merit.”
The recent tensions are rooted in the long-disputed region of Kashmir, which both countries claim in full but govern in parts. Tensions intensified in 2019 when India revoked Kashmir’s autonomous status, triggering widespread unrest and increasing the frequency of militant attacks.
Responsibility for the Pahalgam attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a relatively new militant group that emerged in 2019. India designates TRF as a terrorist organization and links it to the banned group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
TRF’s statement, posted online, criticized demographic changes in Kashmir due to the settlement of “outsiders.” However, it did not provide evidence to support the claim, and its statement could not be independently verified.
