Pakistan has suspended flights to several Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, in the wake of escalating tensions with Iran. According to sources, 116 flights have been canceled from Pakistan, with 32 flights canceled from Karachi Airport to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Sharjah, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Islamabad Airport has also canceled 28 flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Sharjah. The total number of canceled flights from Pakistan to the Middle East is 184.
In a separate development, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), visited the Iranian Embassy in Islamabad. Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has stated that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has attempted to divert international attention from the Gaza Strip by launching an attack on Iran. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has summoned a meeting of parliamentary leaders to discuss the global situation.
PTI Chairman, Pervez Khattak, has stated that the Prime Minister has not decided to go to the House, and God willing, Imran Khan will be released from jail before Eid. He believes that the region will face more turmoil in the future and that the issue requires a comprehensive economic plan to solve it.
According to the Interior Minister, 188 Afghan Taliban checkpoints have been destroyed, and 31 have been occupied by the government. Former Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, had nominated Mahmoud Khan Achakzai and Allama Rajah Nasir Abbas as the PTI leaders.
In another development, the Pakistan Army has taken control of the Afghan Taliban’s post in Paktika and raised the Pakistani flag. The security forces have launched a successful and effective counterattack, killing several insurgents.
The Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh has issued an advisory for Pakistani citizens in Saudi Arabia, asking them to remain calm and follow the instructions of the Saudi government. The PTI has announced that it will invite all parliamentary leaders to an emergency meeting. However, the priority is the treatment of Imran Khan.
The Iranian authorities have stated that the missile attacks on Qatar were unannounced, and the UAE has vowed not to use its airspace for attacks on Iran. The Indian opposition party, Congress, has criticized the Indian government for ignoring its long-time ally, Iran. The Russian government has warned that the Iran war could lead to an arms race in the Middle East.
The UAE has stated that it will not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
