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Islamabad Airport
Flight operations at Islamabad International Airport will remain suspended for two hours on March 16, Pakistani authorities said on Saturday. In a social media post, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) advised passengers to check with their airlines for any updates. "Due to operational reasons, flight operations at Islamabad International Airport will remain temporarily suspended on 16 March 2026 from 08:30 am to 10:30 am PKT," it said. In a notice to airmen (Notam), the PAA specified segments of air traffic service (ATS) routes within the Lahore flight information region (FIR) that would not be available from ground to flight level 210 due to "operational reasons". The Notam stated that arrival and departure operations at Islamabad International Airport would remain closed, and urged arriving aircraft to "bring sufficient holding fuel to cater for delay". No reason was given for the closure of the airspace, but media reports suggested that it would be for the rehearsal of the .
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday asked India and Pakistan to "exercise restraint" and prevent an escalation, ahead of his talks with the Pakistani leadership as tensions soared between the two countries after the Pahalgam terror attack. At the talks, Tehran and Islamabad agreed that complex regional issues could be addressed through talks, a Pakistani Foreign Office statement said. "The situation in the region is very important for Iran, and we emphasise (on the importance of) easing tensions while calling on all parties to exercise restraint and prevent the escalation of the situation," Araghchi said upon his arrival here, Iranian state-run PressTV reported. Tensions between India and Pakistan soared after terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. We will try to de-escalate tensions in the region, said Araghchi, who paid a day-long visit to Pakistan. He will travel to India on Thursday. "Both India and Pakistan ar