ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has postponed an official visit to Malaysia as tensions mounted between Islamabad and New Delhi, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday.

Tensions have surged between India and Pakistan after an Apr. 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in which 26 tourists were killed. India blames Pakistan of involvement in the attack, a charge Islamabad has denied, asking for evidence which New Delhi has so far not publicly shared. 

The nuclear-armed neighbors have since announced a raft of punitive measures against each other, while their forces have exchanged fire along their de facto border in Kashmir for 10 consecutive days.

“In light of recent tensions following the attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, I expressed my full understanding of the difficult circumstances Pakistan is facing and conveyed Malaysia’s hope that the situation will de-escalate swiftly,” Malaysia’s Anwar said in a statement.

Sharif was scheduled to arrive in Malaysia on Friday.

Sharif’s office said the two sides spoke on Sunday night and he “conveyed that he looked forward to paying an official visit to Malaysia later this year.”

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi arrived in Pakistan on Monday, the Pakistani foreign office said, for discussions on bilateral ties and regional developments.

Iran has offered to mediate the crisis between Pakistan and India, with Araghchi saying his country was “ready to use its good offices” to resolve the standoff. 

The offer came amid fears that India may carry out limited airstrikes or special forces raids near the border with Pakistan. The Pakistani information minister said last week Islamabad had “credible intelligence” India was planning to attack Pakistan within days. 

“Pakistan is presenting its case to friendly countries,” Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told reporters on a visit to Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Monday.

AIRSPACE CLOSURES

Meanwhile, Air France and Germany’s Lufthansa were among global carriers avoiding Pakistani airspace, airlines and flight trackers showed on Monday.

India took measures such as closing its airspace to Pakistan airlines, while Pakistan barred those owned or operated by its neighbor, suspended trade and halted special visas for Indians, although it let international airlines use its airspace.

Lufthansa Group’s airlines are “avoiding Pakistani airspace until further notice” it said in a statement to Reuters, although that will result in longer flight times on some routes to Asia, and added that it is monitoring developments.

Flight tracking data showed some flights of British Airways, Swiss International Air Lines and Emirates turning north toward Delhi in order to avoid Pakistani airspace, after traveling over the Arabian Sea.
British Airways and Emirates did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“The airline has decided to suspend overflight of Pakistan until further notice,” Air France said in a statement, citing the “recent evolution of tensions” between India and Pakistan.

The carrier said it was altering its flight schedule and flight plans with destinations such as Delhi, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh, entailing longer flight times.

Lufthansa Flight LH760 from Frankfurt to New Delhi had to fly nearly an hour longer on Sunday because it took a longer route, data from flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed.

Besides the longer distances and higher fuel costs for airlines, the alterations are set to cut Pakistan’s earnings from overflight fees, which can run into hundreds of dollars a flight, depending on aircraft weight and distance covered.

-With inputs from AFP and Reuters