KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has canceled all flights for the next 12 hours, a spokesperson announced on Wednesday, as tensions escalated sharply with neighboring India following missile strikes.
The move comes as Pakistan’s military said at least 26 civilians had been killed and 46 injured in Indian attacks on six locations inside Pakistani territory.
India said its forces had launched “Operation Sindoor,” targeting sites it claimed were linked to a recent attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir which it blamed on Pakistan despite Islamabad’s repeated denials.
Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, said the Pakistani military had downed five Indian jets in retaliation for the late-night strikes.
“PIA has currently canceled flights for next 12 hours. Passengers are requested to keep in contact with PIA,” Abdullah Khan, the PIA spokesperson, told Arab News.
He added that flights already airborne had been diverted to Karachi while all ground operations were put on hold.
Despite the cancelations, a source within the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) told Arab News the country’s airspace remained open.
“The latest NOTAM cancels previous NOTAM which has closed airspace,” the source said, sharing the latest Notice to Airmen.
Meanwhile, several Asian airlines said they were rerouting or canceling flights to and from Europe because of fighting between India and Pakistan, according to Reuters.
Taiwan’s EVA Air said it would adjust its Europe-bound flights to avoid airspace affected by the conflict.
One flight from Vienna was diverted back, while a Taipei–Milan flight was rerouted to Vienna for refueling before continuing to its destination, the airline said in a statement to Reuters.
Korean Air began rerouting its Seoul Incheon-Dubai flights on Wednesday, opting for a southern route over Myanmar, Bangladesh and India instead of Pakistani airspace.
Thai Airways said flights to Europe and South Asia would be rerouted from early Wednesday morning, warning of potential delays.
Taiwan’s China Airlines also said it had activated its contingency plan and taken measures to ensure passenger and crew safety, though it did not elaborate.
-With Input from Reuters
PIA grounds flights for 12 hours amid India-Pakistan military escalation
https://arab.news/zr4ee
PIA grounds flights for 12 hours amid India-Pakistan military escalation
- A latest Notice to Airmen circulated by authorities indicates Pakistan’s airspace remains open
- Several Asian airlines are still rerouting or canceling their flights amid India-Pakistan tensions
Pakistan delay call on T20 World Cup participation by a week
- Controversy erupted after India replaced Bangladesh with Scotland over Bangladesh’s decision to not play any matches in India
- Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday lambasted the ICC for its ‘double standards’ when it came to Bangladesh
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will finalize its participation in the Men’s International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup by Feb. 2, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday, following a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The controversy over Pakistan’s participation erupted after the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament following Bangladesh’s decision to not play any matches in India owing to security fears. Bangladesh had requested a venue outside India for their World Cup matches, amid tensions between the two countries.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 tournament will be played from Feb. 7 to Mar. 8 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with matches being played across both countries and the final scheduled in Ahmedabad.
During a meeting in Islamabad, Naqvi briefed Sharif over the recent developments involving Bangladesh and the ICC.
“Had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif,” Naqvi said in a post on X.
“Briefed him on the ICC matter, and he directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table,” he continued. “It was agreed that the final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday.”
On Sunday, Naqvi lambasted the ICC for its “double standards” when it came to Bangladesh, pointing out that India and Pakistan were allowed to play against each other at neutral venues as per an earlier deal between both cricket boards and the ICC.
Earlier in January, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladesh’s cricketer Mustafizur Rahman due to political tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi since the ouster of former Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina, who later fled to India.
Pakistan will play all their T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, one of the tournament’s co-hosts. If Pakistan decides to participate, the country will open their campaign against the Netherlands on Feb. 7 and will face defending champions India on Feb. 15 in a group-stage match in Colombo.
