PIA cancels flights to northern cities over Indo-Pak tensions

Pakistan’s national flag carrier PIA on Wednesday cancelled flights to northern Pakistani cities, including to Gilgit and Skardu in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, due to “air space restrictions” in the wake of Uri terrorist attack.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) called off flights to Gilgit and Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) and Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

“As per directives of CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), the air space over Northern areas will remain closed on Wednesday.  Inconvenience regretted,” PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani said on Twitter.

He did not give any reason for closure of air space but officials said that Pakistani warplanes might be in the air to keep vigil due to Indo-Pak tensions after the Uri attack.

Eighteen soldiers were killed and over a dozen others injured as heavily armed militants stormed a battalion headquarters of the Indian Army in North Kashmir’s Uri town early Sunday.

Four militants involved in the terror strike were killed by the Army.