Pakistan prolongs airspace restriction for Indian airline until January 23.

Pakistan on Wednesday announced an extension of its airspace ban on Indian aircraft for an additional month, now effective until January 23. The restriction on Indian airlines was first implemented in April following the Pahalgam attack. In response, India has similarly restricted Pakistan’s access.

The earlier extension was due to expire on December 24, but the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has decided to prolong these restrictions until January 23. The PAA stated, “Pakistan airspace will remain closed to Indian-registered aircraft, encompassing all aircraft owned, operated, or leased by Indian airlines, as well as Indian military flights.”

According to the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), the existing restrictions “will continue until January 23, 2026, as per the specified timings.” Pakistan’s airspace is subdivided into two flight information regions (FIRs)—Karachi and Lahore, as outlined by a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022.
The NOTAM pertains to both Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) FIRs.

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A terror attack in April in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, initiated a four-day conflict in May between India and Pakistan, leading Islamabad to successively extend its ban on Indian airlines over its airspace. India has also enforced a reciprocal ban on Pakistan.

On December 17, officials from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province reported the closure of 42 camps that had accommodated Afghan refugees for more than 40 years.

Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, millions of Afghan refugees entered Pakistan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as a bordering province, has hosted the largest population of these refugees for decades.

Authorities assert that the aim of closing these nearly 45-year-old refugee camps is to streamline the system of refugee residence and registration in the province and to eliminate illegal and unregulated camp residents.

On Wednesday, official sources indicated that the camp closure process was conducted in two phases.

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In the first phase, five refugee camps were shut down, followed by the closure of the remaining 37 camps across the province in the second phase on Tuesday.

The provincial government has adequately informed the federal government about these developments, the sources noted.

Officials stated that the primary goal behind the camp closures was to ensure the repatriation of Afghan refugees is taken to its logical conclusion.

During the closure initiative, police and other law enforcement agencies were deployed, and actions against unregistered Afghan refugees were carried out in accordance with government policy.

Following the closure, the voluntary repatriation process has accelerated, with over 300,000 refugees preparing to return to Afghanistan.

Officials characterized the closure of these refugee camps as a crucial policy milestone in managing refugee affairs and re-establishing administrative order within the province.