India bars all Pak flights from entering its airspace

New Delhi: India on Wednesday banned Pakistani airlines from using its airspace amid escalating tensions with the neighbouring country in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. The airspace closure will be in effect from April 30 to May 23, 2025.

Sources said that a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) has been issued that bars Pakistani airlines from using the Indian airspace. The development comes a week after Pakistan barred Indian carriers from using its airspace.

In a direct warning to Pakistan, India on Tuesday raised concerns over ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) during a hotline conversation between the directors general of military operations (DGMOs) of both countries, officials said on Wednesday.

The communication followed a series of firings by the Pakistan Army starting Friday night in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla and Kupwara districts, breaching the 2021 ceasefire understanding. According to military sources, Indian forces responded to these incidents in a “measured manner”.

“The Indian DGMO conveyed New Delhi’s strong concern over unprovoked firing,” a defence source familiar with the discussions said. “Such violations risk escalation and undermine mutual understandings.”

Although described as part of a routine weekly exchange held every Tuesday, the timing of this conversation coincided with heightened tensions after the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people dead. India is currently weighing options to respond to that assault, which it has linked to cross-border elements. Meanwhile, officials said firing from Pakistani posts extended to the international border in the Pargwal sector on Tuesday night. There was no immediate report of casualties.

Following the Pahalgam attack, India announced several retaliatory steps, including halting the Indus Waters Treaty, sealing the Attari land crossing, and scaling down diplomatic ties with Islamabad.

In an internal meeting with military leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the armed forces have full freedom to determine India’s response. “This is a national resolve,” a senior government official quoted him as saying.In reaction, Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian flights and ended trade relations, including third-party commerce. Islamabad dismissed India’s move to suspend the water treaty and warned that any attempt to block water flows would be considered an “act of war”.with agency inputs