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KARACHI: Pakistan on Friday extended its airspace ban on Indian aircraft until Oct. 24, according to an official notification, as tensions remain high between the two nuclear-armed neighbors since they fought an intense four-day war in May that killed at least 70 people in both countries.

The restriction was first imposed on Apr. 24 as part of a series of tit-for-tat measures announced by both India and Pakistan, days after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad.

Pakistani authorities denied any involvement, calling for a transparent international probe. However, India targeted several sites in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, triggering intense missile, drone and artillery exchanges before a US-brokered ceasefire was announced on May 10.

“Pakistan’s airspace will remain unavailable for aircraft registered in India," the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) announced. "The ban applies to all planes owned, operated, or leased by Indian airlines or operators, including military flights.”

“The restriction will take effect on Sept. 19, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. (PKT) and is scheduled to end on Oct. 24, 2025, at 4:59 a.m. (PKT)," it added.

Describing the end time as "tentative," the notification said the ban "is effective from the ground up to unlimited altitude.”

This is the fifth time Pakistan has extended the ban, which has forced Indian airlines to reroute flights, increasing fuel consumption, travel times and operating costs.

Air India, which operates numerous flights to Europe and North America, estimated in May the airspace ban could lead to about $600 million in additional expenses over the course of a year and requested compensation from the Indian government.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday several countries had expressed interest in signing a security pact with his country after it concluded a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with �������� this week, though he stressed such accords take time and do not materialize overnight.

Pakistan and �������� sealed the deal during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s state visit to Riyadh, where he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss regional and bilateral issues. Both nations have said the pact formalizes decades of defense partnership and is not directed against any third country.

Since the signing of the agreement, analysts have widely speculated more such accords could follow amid a shifting geopolitical environment in the region.

“It is premature to say anything, but many countries desire, after this development, to have a similar arrangement,” Dar told a group of reporters in London in a video shared on social media platforms without naming them.

“However, it [takes] a due process,” he continued. “It [the accord with ��������] wasn’t signed overnight. It took several months.”

Dar said every word of the agreement had been carefully considered by both sides.

He maintained that the two countries were “very happy” about the development, pointing out that �������� had always stood with Pakistan in tough circumstances.

“You will recall that their support after the [nuclear] sanctions was very relevant and important,” he said, referring to the international situation for Pakistan that followed its decision to conduct nuclear tests in response to India’s in May 1998.

“Likewise, during the current crises, �������� has also played a major role,” he added, citing Pakistan’s recent financial turmoil that brought it close to sovereign debt default and prompted it to enlist support from �������� and other friendly countries to unlock an International Monetary Fund bailout.

Dar noted that the people of Pakistan always felt strongly about ��������’s security, saying the newly signed pact builds on the same sentiment and years of bilateral partnership.