India considering shutting airspace to Pak airlines, banning ships: Sources

Sources indicated that the government is seriously contemplating the closure of Indian airspace to Pakistani airlines as New Delhi implements retaliatory actions against Islamabad in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack carried out by militants based in Pakistan.

The decision would require Pakistani airlines to change flight paths over nations like China or Sri Lanka to reach Southeast Asian locations like Kuala Lumpur, according to officials familiar with the situation.

Pakistani carriers have started to steer clear of Indian airspace, reportedly out of concern for retaliation after the Pahalgam terrorist incident on April 22, when militants shot at civilians, resulting in 26 deaths.

Officials indicate that a prohibition on Pakistani vessels at Indian ports is also being contemplated.

Last week, Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian carriers as tensions heightened between the two countries after India reaffirmed its claims that Pakistan supports and enables cross-border terrorism and revealed a range of countermeasures.

India has put the Indus Waters Treaty on hold, stating that it will resume only if Pakistan ceases its backing of cross-border terrorism. Furthermore, India has retracted its Defence, Navy, and Air Force advisors from its High Commission in Islamabad and has labeled Pakistan’s military attaches in New Delhi as persona non grata.