As India and Pakistan teeter on the edge of war following deadly cross-border strikes, Turkish Airlines (THY) has grounded its flights to Islamabad and Lahore, citing safety concerns amid rapidly rising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals.
The national carrier, THY, announced Wednesday that round-trip flights from Istanbul to the Pakistani cities were canceled in response to India’s overnight missile blitz, which killed 26 and injured at least 46 others, according to Pakistani officials.
Passengers affected by the canceled flights – including those holding tickets to Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore – have been granted flexible rights.
In a public advisory, THY said all reservations for May 7-9 can be changed free of charge, provided passengers act before May 21.
Unused tickets will be fully refunded, and partially used ones will see the remainder reimbursed.
Tickets can also be rebooked for travel through July 31 without penalties or fare differences.
The cancellations came just hours after India unleashed a series of missile and air strikes deep inside Pakistani territory, including Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
New Delhi said it targeted terrorist hideouts linked to last month’s deadly bombing in Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 tourists dead.
Islamabad, however, claimed civilians – including women and children – were among the casualties and accused India of committing "naked aggression."
In a fiery speech before Parliament, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country’s air force retaliated swiftly, downing five Indian fighter jets – including at least three French-made Rafales – in overnight dogfights. “Up to 80 Indian jets were in the air. Our brave forces chased them off and brought five down,” he said, lauding the swift response by the military.
Sharif’s Security Cabinet condemned the Indian strikes as acts of war and granted the military full authorization to respond. “These illegal acts are blatant violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” a statement from Sharif’s office said. “Under international law, they constitute acts of war.”
As fighter jets roared over the Line of Control, frantic diplomatic efforts unfolded across the globe.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held urgent calls with both Indian and Pakistani national security advisers.
The United Nations, European Union, Gulf Arab states, and key regional players – including China and Russia – urged restraint and called for immediate de-escalation.
China, a close ally of Pakistan, echoed concerns and urged both sides to “exercise maximum restraint.” Saudi Arabia dispatched its deputy foreign minister to Islamabad, while Qatar’s prime minister phoned Sharif, joining the diplomatic chorus seeking to avert a wider war.
Inside Pakistan, diplomats scrambled between the prime minister’s office and the foreign ministry, searching for a diplomatic exit ramp from what many fear could spiral into a fourth war between the two South Asian powers.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence in 1947, two of them over Kashmir – a Himalayan region both claim in full but rule in part.
