New Delhi, Oct 26: Pakistan released a notification on Saturday restricting several air traffic routes across its central and southern airspace next week, even as India geared up for a major tri-service military exercise near the Pakistan border. The large-scale Army, Navy, and Air Force operation—codenamed Exercise Trishul—will be conducted in the Sir Creek area of the Rann of Kutch region in Gujarat at the end of October.
The 10-day exercise has reportedly triggered alarm in Islamabad, with multiple military commands and bases placed on high alert. According to news agency reports, Pakistan has mobilized its Air Force and Navy to remain on standby for any perceived aggression and intensified patrolling in the Arabian Sea. Sources also indicated that the Pakistani military was in a state of “panic” over potential contingency scenarios.
Islamabad has not provided an official reason for the airspace closure, though analysts cited by India Today suggest it could be linked to a military drill or a weapons test. India, too, has issued a NOTAM update ahead of the massive exercise, scheduled from October 30 to November 10 along the border.
Defence analyst Damien Symon shared satellite imagery revealing the airspace reserved for Trishul, extending up to 28,000 feet—an indication of the exercise’s scale and strategic depth. Observers say the planned operation will likely be one of India’s most extensive joint military exercises in recent years.
The development comes amid Pakistan’s worsening internal security situation, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where militant violence has resurged. On Friday, a bomb explosion at a mosque in Lower South Waziristan narrowly missed a Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader, sparking panic among residents.
Several JUI-F leaders, including district chief Maulana Abdullah and cleric Maulana Shehzada, have been targeted in previous attacks. In a statement, JUI-F condemned the bombing as a “cowardly act of terror” and accused the state of failing to protect religious figures. Locals say areas like Birmal tehsil have seen a sharp rise in militant activity over the past year, including kidnappings, targeted killings, and attacks on security forces.
Observers warn that militant groups are reasserting their foothold in Waziristan amid government inaction, highlighting Pakistan’s growing inability to contain extremist violence in its former tribal districts. The combination of internal instability and heightened military posturing underscores deepening regional tensions between India and Pakistan. (Agencies)
