SIALKOT: Sialkot International Airport on Monday rejected reports that a Qatar Airways flight arriving from Doha had landed in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), clarifying that the aircraft had arrived in Sialkot according to its scheduled flight plan.

Airport spokesperson Umair Khan said the flight from Doha landed at Sialkot International Airport on the morning of September 27 before departing for Doha at its scheduled time.

He said the aircraft appeared at an incorrect location on the flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 due to a technical issue and inaccurate GPS information.

Khan added that the flight’s landing in Sialkot could also be verified through the radar system of the Pakistan Airports Authority.

The clarification came after reports circulated regarding the aircraft’s location on the flight-tracking platform.

Pakistan’s airspace remains closed to all Indian-registered aircraft and aircraft owned, operated or leased by Indian airlines and operators, including military flights.

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

Islamabad imposed the ban after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty following the deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, a charge Islamabad has denied while calling for an independent and transparent investigation.

India subsequently closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30, 2025.

The reciprocal restrictions have disrupted aviation operations between the two countries, forcing airlines to adjust flight routes and schedules.

Pakistan and India have imposed airspace restrictions during previous periods of heightened tensions, including the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, affecting regional aviation operations.