section_path: Impact
section_name: Impact
paragraph_text: Impact
  
  Pakistani airspace was closed for 48 hours and all flights were cancelled. In Pakistani Punjab, schools and colleges were closed, and CIE examinations were cancelled in most of Pakistan. In India, at least 25 airports in the north and west were shut down until 10 May. The Indian Air Force took control of Srinagar Airport and civil operations were stopped for an indefinite period.
  
  The 2025 Indian Premier League transferred a match between Punjab Kings and the Mumbai Indians scheduled at Dharamsala on 11 May to Ahmedabad, citing the closure of Kangra Airport and other logistical issues caused by the ongoing tensions. Similarly, during 2025 Pakistan Super League, a match between Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi could not be played. On 9 May, both the tournaments were postponed because of worsening of the situation.
  
  More than 8,000 Twitter accounts were blocked in India. The Indian government also blocked several Pakistani YouTube channels along with six Bangladeshi channels' YouTube accounts under the section 69(A) of Information Technology Act, 2000 citing "threat to the national security or public discipline". This measure received protests from Bangladeshi government. X accounts of Chinese state-run media Xinhua News Agency and Global Times, and Turkish public broadcaster TRT World were also blocked in India. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority blocked 79 Indian YouTube channels and websites citing "anti-Pakistan propaganda" which undermined "national unity".
  
  Stock markets in India and Pakistan experienced significant volatility through the week due to escalating geopolitical tensions, but rebounded sharply on 12 May following the ceasefire agreement.
  
  In China, a viral parody video mocking India over the reported downing of Rafale jets by Pakistani J-10C aircraft attracted significant attention, amassing millions of likes on Douyin and being reposted by Pakistan's Defence Ministry. The video was widely criticized as "racist and nationalistic", with commentators linking its popularity to rising Chinese nationalist sentiment. While the Chinese public embraced the incident as a win for domestic military tech, the Chinese government maintained diplomatic caution, urging both sides to exercise restraint amid regional tensions.
  
  The Indian strikes on 7 May sparked protests against it in Pakistan. Protests and rallies took place in Peshawar and Islamabad, while political rallies were taken out in Karachi, Lahore (by the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, a front of the Lashkar-e-Taiba), Muzaffarabad (by the Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir), and Mirpur. British Pakistani protestors demonstrated outside the Indian Embassy in London on 7 and 8 May.
  
  Members of the Indian diaspora in France gathered in front of the Eiffel Tower to hold a protest against Pakistan after the strikes. Calls for a boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan were raised on India social media due to their public support for Pakistan during the conflict. In Hyderabad, India, the protestors demanded to change the name of the Karachi Bakery, while in Hyderabad, Pakistan, the Bombay Bakery (named after Bombay, now Mumbai) was celebrated.
  
  Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a professor from Ashoka University in India was arrested on Sunday on charges under laws concerning incitement of communal disharmony, subversive activity, and religious insult, following social media posts about India’s Operation Sindoor. In his posts, he questioned the use of Muslim women officer Sofiya Qureshi for optics and highlighted issues like mob lynching on Muslims in India during the conflict. The incident sparked condemnation from over 1,200 academics and civil society members, who called it a crackdown on free speech and academic freedom. He was later granted interim bail by the Supreme Court of India. The legal case reached India's highest court, which granted Ali bail but restrained him from further commenting on the 2025 Pahalgam attack as well as Operation Sindoor. A three member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been setup to look at the charges against him.
  
  The National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency of Pakistan arrested a senior National Database and Registration Authority official for allegedly sharing anti-army remarks on a WhatsApp work group.
  
  On 12 May, a day after the ceasefire declaration, a session of the National Assembly of Pakistan was convened to celebrate what was regarded by Pakistani leaders as a victory. The government of Pakistan promoted Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal on 20 May 2025 citing his leadership during the conflict. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the military operation as a "remarkable success" and commended Munir's "exemplary courage and resolve". Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar was granted a second tenure extension 'in recognition of his operational excellence' during the conflict.
  
  Addressing the nation on the eve of 12th May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India has always defeated Pakistan on the battlefield, and Operation Sindoor has added a new dimension. He added that India has only paused military action with Pakistan and will strike if any further 'terrorist attack' occurs. On 9 June, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, who, as Director General Military Operations (DGMO), played a key role during Operation Sindoor, was promoted to the post of Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy).