KARACHI: Pakistan’s airspace is “safe” for all kinds of flight operations, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said on Sunday after a European air safety agency this week warned of a “continued possible threat” to aircraft flying at low altitudes in Karachi and Lahore cities.
On July 28, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an advisory stating that the presence of “violent non-state actor groups with confirmed anti-aviation weaponry” in Pakistan means there is a high risk to flight operations at altitudes below Flight Level (FL) 260 in Lahore and Karachi.
The advisory also mentioned the internationally disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir remains a site of territorial dispute, adding that “sporadic military operations” in the region pose a potential risk to civil aviation and could lead to cases of misidentification in case a military conflict escalated.
PCAA spokesperson Saif Ullah brushed aside the advisory, saying that the EASA has issued such warnings in the past frequently.
“If we look at Pakistan, all aircraft are flying here,” Saif Ullah told Arab News. “There are no such [imminent] threats at the moment due to which we would ground aircraft because if there were any threats, we would have first grounded them.”
“In our country, our airspace is safe for all types of flight operations,” Saif Ullah concluded.
According to EASA, its advisory will remain active till 31 January, 2024.
Separately, Pakistan’s national airline has been grappling with a flight ban imposed by the EASA and the European Commission. The ban came into effect after the May 2020 air crash in Karachi, which was attributed to licensing problems within the national airline by one of the country’s former aviation ministers.
The EASA spokesperson has said the agency is conducting “constructive discussions” with the PCAA regarding the flight ban.
Pakistan says airspace ‘safe’ for flight operations despite European agency’s warning
https://arab.news/r3nab
Pakistan says airspace ‘safe’ for flight operations despite European agency’s warning
- European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned aircraft this week against flying over Karachi, Lahore at low altitudes
- EASA advisory said ‘sporadic military operations’ in disputed Kashmir region poses potential risk to flight operations
Islamabad reviews preparations for 2026 OIC ministerial conference on women
- The conference, held every three to four years, brings together OIC ministers to discuss progress on women’s rights
- Pakistan’s foreign minister directs authorities finalize arrangements, priorities in coordination with OIC Secretariat
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday presided over a meeting to review progress regarding the 9th OIC Ministerial Conference on Women, scheduled to be held in Islamabad in July, the Pakistani foreign ministry said.
The conference, held approximately every three to four years, brings together ministers from OIC member states to review progress on women’s rights, share national policies and adopt new frameworks.
This year’s conference is slated to be held in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on July 12-13, according to a schedule of 2026 meetings shared on the OIC website.
“The meeting evaluated progress and emphasized timely coordination to ensure a successful event,” the ministry said in a statement on Friday.
“FM directed all relevant ministries and stakeholders to finalize logistical arrangements and thematic priorities in close collaboration with the OIC Secretariat.”
Previous ministerial meetings have focused on themes such as women’s economic empowerment, combating gender-based violence, and improving access to education and health care.
The exact agenda for the 2026 meeting has yet to be announced.
The previous OIC ministerial conference on women was held in Cairo in 2021 and focused on women’s empowerment, protection frameworks, and socio-economic participation.
