New Delhi: Days after shutting its airspace to all flights owned and operated by Indian carriers, Pakistan today cancelled its own flights to the Gilgit-Baltistan region, under its control. The move comes as Islamabad fears military action by India in the wake of the horrific Pahalgam attack in which 26 tourists were shot dead.
Pakistan International Airlines or PIA as it is usually called, has cancelled all flights to and from Gilgit and Skardu. News reports in Pakistan revealed the flight schedules of PIA on Wednesday, which showed that the four flights to Skardu – one each from Karachi and Lahore, and two from Islamabad – have been cancelled.
Four other flights from Islamabad to Gilgit have also been cancelled, Pakistan’s Urdu daily Jang reported. Another English daily Express Tribune confirmed the news, saying, Pakistan has stepped up its vigil, especially in monitoring its airspace amid tensions with India. “For security reasons, all commercial flights scheduled to operate to and from Gilgit and Skardu have been cancelled,” it stated.
Pakistani officials have told the newspaper that the measures are “precautionary” and aimed at ensuring “its airspace” is secured. It is not clear however, if this is a temporary measure or a long-term one.
Besides the regions that fall in Pakistan’s control, Islamabad has also heightened its security and surveillance across the nation.
The move comes as Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said the Indian government is preparing to carry out military action against Pakistan in the next 24-36 hours. (With inputs from agencies)
