A loud explosion-like sound was heard in and , causing panic among residents who rushed out of their homes. Flight operations at the airport were temporarily suspended but were later restored.
According to , the loud blast-like sound was heard across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and surrounding areas, prompting residents to come out of their homes in fear.
Sources said the sound was actually caused by fighter jets flying at high speed. The jets were conducting rehearsals in Islamabad for the ceremony.
Sources added that the sound barrier was broken due to the high-speed flight of the jets. As a precaution, flights at were temporarily suspended, and aircraft were briefly stopped from landing and taking off.
It is worth noting that the Pakistan Day ceremony on March 23 will be held at the . There will be no traditional parade this year; instead, a fly-past will be conducted.
Fighter jets of the will perform the fly-past on March 23, and the ongoing rehearsals are part of the preparations.
Flight operations briefly suspended due to operational reasons
According to the , the airspace over Islamabad remained closed for more than an hour.
In a statement, the authority said that due to operational reasons, minor adjustments were made to flight operations at Islamabad International Airport for a short period. However, all flights are now operating as usual.
Passengers have been advised to contact their respective airlines for updated information regarding their flights.
Later, the Pakistan Airports Authority issued another statement clarifying that reports claiming the closure of Islamabad’s airspace were baseless and that the airport is fully operational as normal.
