Pakistan Closes Its Airspace For Commercial Flights

Flight operations have been suspended across major airports in Pakistan's Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces on Wednesday in the wake of the escalating tensions between Pakistan and India, according to a media report.

The move comes amid escalation of tension between India and Pakistan after the Indian Air Force carried out strikes on a terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot.

According to Lahore airport manager, flight operations at Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Islamabad airports have been suspended, Pakistan's Geo News reported.

All incoming and outgoing local and international flights have been suspended until further orders, he was quoted as saying.

"A flight from Guanghzou, China has been sent back," the manager further said.

The Pakistani channel quoting its sources said a passenger airplane was stopped from taking off from Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar on the orders of Civil Aviation Authority.

India has also shut down five airports in Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Chandigarh and Amritsar, on Wednesday for civilian air traffic shortly after an IAF jet crashed in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district, officials said.

The flare up in the cross-LoC shelling, which was initiated by Pakistani troops in early hours of Wednesday, has also resulted in security forces and other establishments being put on a heightened alert.