Any ‘military misadventure’ by India will be met with ‘swift, resolute, and notch-up response’: Army chief
Islamabad, May 1: Citing security concerns, Pakistan has announced the closure of specific portions of Karachi and Lahore airspace for four hours each day during May and put all airports across the country on high alert, a media report said Thursday.
The development comes amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack and Islamabad’s apprehension of retaliatory action by New Delhi.
“The restricted airspace will be closed daily from 4:00 am to 8:00 am local time between May 1 and May 31,” Express Tribune said, quoting an official notice.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the closure will not significantly disrupt commercial flight operations, as aircraft will be rerouted via alternative flight paths during the restricted hours, it said.
The decision about airspace comes a day after Pakistan’s national carrier cancelled all flights to and from Gilgit, Skardu and other northern areas in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir due to security reasons.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22.
Pakistan Army chief Gen Asim Munir on Thursday warned that any “military misadventure” by India will be met with a “swift, resolute, and notch-up response” as he visited a firing range to witness a high-intensity field training exercise conducted by the armed forces.
His remark comes amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack and Islamabad’s apprehension of retaliatory action by New Delhi.
“Let there be no ambiguity: any military misadventure by India will be met with a swift, resolute, and notch-up response,” the army chief was quoted as saying by the state-run news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
Pak conducts military drills to showcase combat readiness, appoints ISI boss as NSA
Pakistan military on Thursday began full-scale military exercises in areas close to the Working Boundary and the Line of Control (LoC), showcasing its military might with modern weaponry on display and asserting the readiness of its forces to respond to any Indian action following the Pahalgam terror attack.
The military drills are taking place at a time when Islamabad has also taken a tactical decision to appoint the current Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence as the country’s National Security Advisor, a significant move in view of the heightened regional tensions and evolving internal and external dynamics. As per sources in the military establishment, the drills involved live-fire demonstrations. “Officers and troops from various units took part in the drills, displaying high-level operational skills and using advanced battlefield systems,” the source said. (PTI)