Key airport shuts down in Pakistan

Peshawar airport in Northern Pakistan shuts down after receiving bomb threats. The airport serves as a key terminal against the war on terror.

Pakistani authorities have closed down the Peshawar airport in northern Pakistan. Located 100 miles north of Islamabad, Peshawar is the largest city of north western Pakistan. The airport serves as a key base against the war on terror. The airport has also received threats in the past but this is the first time that it has been closed. It came under frequent rocket attacks in 2007 that prompted a short closure but it was reopened only after a couple of hours. This time, however, it is under military cover for more than 24 hours. All commercial and military flights have been canceled or diverted to Islamabad airport. People are facing troubles as they have to travel 100 miles south to catch their flights in the scorching summer heat. Daily Times reported

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Wednesday closed the Peshawar International Airport for all kinds of air traffic due to the volatile law and order situation in the province, officials said. “We have closed the Peshawar Airport to all domestic and international traffic after receiving a notification from the Chief of Air Staff (CAF),” a CAA official told Daily Times on condition of anonymity. He said that the airport would remain closed until further orders by the CAF.

Peshawar has become the center of terrorist attacks that have claimed dozens of lives. A recent attack on luxury hotel killed more than 16 people, including foreign aid workers.