Pakistan

Lahore, Mar 3; PTI/GANASHAKTI: Flight operations resumed at Lahore airport on Sunday after being suspended for over 72 hours as Pakistan's airspace was closed in the wake of escalating tensions with India.

Pakistan on Wednesday closed its airspace for commercial flights and suspended flight operations across major airports, including in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, for an indefinite period.

Islamabad, Mar 2; PTI/GANASHAKTI:  Pakistan was not under "pressure" or "any compulsion" to release Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday, a day after the IAF Wing Commander returned home.

India has been maintaining that the Pakistani decision is in consonance with the Geneva Conventions.

Pakistan was under intense pressure from the US, the UAE and Saudi Arabia to de-escalate the tensions with India in the wake of the Pulwama attack and release the Indian pilot.

Islamabad, Mar 1 (PTI) Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday announced that he will not attend a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) being hosted by the United Arab Emirates over the grouping's failure to rescind the invitation to his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj.

Swaraj has been invited to the OIC meeting as a guest of honour despite strong protest from Pakistan. Qureshi informed Parliament that he would not be attending the conference in the UAE on March 1-2.

Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan has announced that his country will return the captured Indian air force pilot as a “peace gesture” to its neighbour. This is a significant step towards reducing tensions between the two nuclear-armed countries.

Wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured after his jet was shot down in Azad Kashmir on Wednesday.

BANGKOK (AP) — A temporary closure of air space over Pakistan snarled air traffic Thursday, especially between Asia and Europe, though some airlines adjusted by rerouting their flights.

In Bangkok, an important and busy hub for transcontinental flights, thousands of travelers were stranded.

Bangkok airport officials said over 4,000 travelers were affected. Those needing help were getting access to accommodations and alternative travel arrangements, they said, though some of those stranded complained they were getting no help at all.

ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday invited India for dialogue to counter terrorism and reduce tensions between the two neighbors.

The Pakistani prime minister was addressing the nation amid tensions between the two countries following a recent suicide attack on the Indian police in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

27 Feb 2019; DW: Pakistan on Wednesday said its military had carried out airstrikes in Indian-controlled Kashmir, shooting down two Indian jets in its own airspace and capturing one of the pilots.

"Today, Pakistan Air Force undertook strikes across Line of Control from within Pakistani airspace," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said. Pakistan's airstrikes come after India launched an airstrike on what it said was a militant training base.

Islamabad, Feb 27 (PTI) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday called a meeting of the top decision making body on nuclear issues after India targeted terrorist camp in the country.

The National Command Authority controls policy formulation, exercises, deployment, research and development, employment and operational command and control of the country's nuclear arsenals.

The decision to call the NCA meeting was taken on Tuesday in the meeting of National Security Committee - a civil-military top level body that discussed the situation after the Indian attack.

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Tuesday told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over phone that India's "aggressive posture" could affect joint efforts for peace in Afghanistan, Qureshi's office said.

Qureshi's remarks came at a time when the Taliban and the U.S. officials are holding talks in Qatar.

Qureshi spoke with Pompeo and apprised him of the violation of the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir by India and the sentiments of Pakistani government, parliament and the people, a spokesman for Qureshi said.

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday announced his decision to allow registered Afghan refugees to open bank accounts in Pakistan which refugees say will help them do business.

Pakistan presently hosts nearly 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees who hold Proof of Registration or PoR cards, which allow them to stay legally in the country, according to the UN refugee agency.

Besides, there are also about one million refugees, who have been documented but not entitled to have PoR cards.