Qatar-origin flight landed at Sialkot airport, not in IIOJK, clarifies official

SIALKOT: Sialkot International Airport on Sunday clarified reports that a Qatar Airways flight arriving from Doha had landed in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Airport spokesperson Umair Khan said that the flight from Doha landed at Sialkot airport on the morning of September 27, and subsequently departed for Doha according to its scheduled departure time.

He said the aircraft was shown at an incorrect location on data from the tracking website FlightRadar24 due to a technical issue and inaccurate GPS information.

According to Khan, the flight from Doha landed at Sialkot International Airport, not in Indian illegally occupied Jammu.

He added that the flight's landing could also be verified through the radar system of the Pakistan Airports Authority.

Pakistan's airspace has been closed for all Indian-registered aircraft and aircraft operated or leased by Indian airlines/operators, including military flights.

The ban was initially imposed on April 23, 2025, and has since been repeatedly extended by the authorities.

Islamabad banned Indian airlines from using its airspace after New Delhi suspended the Indus Waters Treaty following the deadly Pahalgam attack in IIOJK.

India accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, an allegation Islamabad has firmly denied while calling for an independent and transparent investigation.

In response to Pakistan's decision, India closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30 last year.

The airspace restrictions have had a far greater financial impact on India's aviation sector, while Pakistan's aviation industry has experienced comparatively limited disruption.

Pakistan has imposed similar airspace restrictions in the past, including during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, episodes that also caused greater operational challenges for Indian airlines than for Pakistani carriers.