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01-05-2025
Bureau Report
NEW DELHI: India shut its airspace to Pakistani airlines on Wednesday, the government said, days after its nuclear-armed neighbor banned Indian airlines from flying over its territory following the killing of 26 men in an attack on tourists in Kashmir.
The ban will last from April 30 to May 23, the Indian government said in a notice.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a phone call on Wednesday evening that he “categorically rejected Indian attempts to link Pakistan to the incident,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
He called for a transparent, credible and neutral investigation and urged the US to impress upon India to “dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly,” it added.
India’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The impact of the ban on Pakistan’s airline industry is likely to be smaller than on India’s since only Pakistan International Airlines operates routes to Kuala Lumpur using Indian airspace.
Last week, Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian-owned or operated airlines, suspending all trade including through third countries and halting special South Asian visas issued to Indian nationals.
PIA, the national carrier, said on Tuesday it had decided to avoid Indian airspace in the wake of rising bilateral tensions.
Pakistan said on Wednesday it has “credible intelligence” that India intends to launch military action soon, as tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors escalate following the deadly attack on tourists.
India has identified the three attackers, including two Pakistani nationals, as “terrorists” waging a violent revolt in Muslim-majority Kashmir. Islamabad has denied any role and called for a neutral investigation.
Since the attack, the nations have unleashed a raft of measures against each other, including suspending the Indus Water Treaty.
Meanwhile, India objected strongly to “unprovoked firing” from Pakistan on the border between the two countries in Kashmir during a conversation between their top army officers, two Indian military sources told media yesterday.
Tensions have escalated between the old rivals since 26 men were killed in an attack targeting Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir last week, and the two armies have exchanged small arms fire since despite a ceasefire.
India has 1.4 million active personnel in its defence forces, 1,237,000 in the army, 75,500 in the navy, 149,900 in the air force, and 13,350 in the coast guard.
Pakistan’s strength is thinner, with under 700,000 personnel, of whom 560,000 are in the army, 70,000 in the air force, and 30,000 in the navy.
India’s arsenal includes 9,743 pieces of artillery against Pakistan’s 4,619 pieces, and 3,740 main battle tanks compared to Pakistan’s 2,537 while India has 730 combat-capable aircraft, Pakistan’s fleet is much smaller at 452 aircraft.
India’s navy has 16 submarines, 11 destroyers, 16 frigates, and two aircraft carriers, while Pakistan’s navy has eight submarines and 10 frigates.
India has 172 warheads and Pakistan boasts of almost an equal number, with 170.
The head of the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir called for international mediation and said on Wednesday that his administration was preparing a humanitarian response in case of any further escalation between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.
Pakistan’s government has said that India intends to launch military action soon after days of escalating tensions following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.
