Pakistan authorities on Thursday imposed a temporary ban on fishing in the country’s territorial waters due to escalating tensions with India.
All fishing boats and trawlers have been called back from the sea as a safety measure. A high alert has been declared at the country’s three main ports—Karachi, Port Qasim, and Gwadar—and the ban on going to sea will stay in place until the alert is lifted. Fishermen have been asked not to go out to sea, and security has been increased at all major ports.
In a similar move, the Pakistan Airports Authority has stopped flight operations at several key airports, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, and Sialkot. These airports are now closed for an unknown period of time.
The closure was announced through an official aviation notice sent to all airlines. Flights that were supposed to land in Lahore are now being sent to Karachi instead. These include flights coming from cities like Jeddah, Dubai, Muscat, Sharjah, and Madinah.
As a safety step, the airports in Lahore and Sialkot have been evacuated, and Karachi Airport has also stopped handling flights. All scheduled flights from these airports have been cancelled until further notice.
According to airport authorities in Karachi, all affected passengers have been transferred to the airport lounges for their comfort and safety. Passengers have been advised to stay in contact with their respective airlines for the latest updates on flight schedules.
The development came in the wake of Indian attack on Pakistan.
