Islamabad retaliates after India’s strong post-Pahalgam attack measures by banning Indian airlines, halting bilateral trade, and expelling Indian military personnel.
April 24, 2025 | In a swift and escalatory response to India’s diplomatic offensive following the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan on Thursday closed its airspace to all Indian-owned and Indian-operated airlines and announced the suspension of all trade with India, including goods in transit to third countries.
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The announcement came after a high-level national security meeting chaired by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, amid intensifying tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Pakistan also objected to India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, warning that any disruption to the treaty-mandated flow of waters would be treated as an “act of war.”
Key Developments:
- Airspace Ban: All Indian commercial flights barred from using Pakistani airspace effective immediately.
- Trade Suspended: Bilateral trade and third-country routed commerce through Pakistan halted.
- Diplomatic Expulsions: Indian military advisers in Islamabad ordered to leave by April 30.
- Treaty Warning: Pakistan asserts any violation of its lower riparian rights under Indus Waters Treaty will be “responded to accordingly.”
India had on Wednesday implemented several strong measures after 26 tourists were massacred in Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley — the worst such attack in two decades. The Indian government:
- Suspended the Indus Waters Treaty
- Closed the Attari-Wagah border
- Revoked Pakistani visas
- Ordered a reduction of diplomatic staff in both countries
- Declared Pakistan’s defence advisers in New Delhi persona non grata
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India is acting on intelligence showing clear cross-border links to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Meanwhile, Pakistani nationals began leaving India on Thursday via the Attari-Wagah land route as the 48-hour visa cancellation deadline loomed.
Tags:
India-Pakistan tensions, Pakistan airspace closure, Indus Waters Treaty suspended, Pahalgam terror attack, India-Pakistan trade halt, Pakistani nationals leave India, Vikram Misri statement, Shehbaz Sharif Pakistan, bilateral crisis, Attari-Wagah border closed