Pakistan extends airspace ban on Indian carrier until January 23

Pakistan on Wednesday extended its airspace ban for Indian aircraft by another month until January 23. Pakistan closed its airspace to India’s airlines in April after the Pahalgam attack. India too has imposed a similar ban on Pakistan.

The previous extension was set to expire on December 24 but the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) extended the restrictions on Wednesday till January 23. “Pakistan airspace will remain closed to Indian-registered aircraft, including all aircraft owned, operated, or leased by Indian airlines, as well as Indian military flights,” the PAA said.

According to the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), the restriction, which has already been in force, “will continue until January 23, 2026, as per the specified timings.” Pakistan’s airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) — Karachi and Lahore, according to a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022.
The NOTAM applies to both Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) FIRs.

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A terror attack in April in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people led to a four-day conflict in May between India and Pakistan, Islamabad has several times extended its ban on Indian airlines flying over its airspace. India too has imposed a similar ban on Pakistan.

Earlier on December 17, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan said it has shut down 42 camps that had housed Afghan refugees for over 40 years.

Millions of Afghan refugees crossed into Pakistan after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, being a bordering province, hosted the largest number of these refugees for decades.

Authorities maintain that the closure of the almost 45-year-old refugee camps aims to streamline the system of refugee residence and registration in the province and to ensure the elimination of illegal and unregulated camp residents.

Official sources said on Wednesday that the process of closure of the camps was carried out in two phases.

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In the first phase, five refugee camps were closed, while the remaining 37 camps located across the province were closed in the second phase on Tuesday.

The provincial government has duly informed the federal government about the latest developments, the sources said.

The primary objective behind the closure of the camps was to take the repatriation of Afghan refugees to its logical conclusion, said officials.

Deployment of police and other law enforcement agencies was ensured during the closure drive, and action against unregistered Afghan refugees in line with government policy was taken.

Following the shutdown, the voluntary repatriation process has also gained momentum, with more than 3,00,000 refugees preparing their return to Afghanistan.

The officials described the closure of these refugee camps as a significant policy milestone in managing refugee affairs and restoring administrative order in the province.