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“Pakistan Using Civil Airliners as Shields”: Wing Commander Vyomika Singh at MEA Briefing

New Delhi, May 9 — In a sharp statement during a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) briefing, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh accused Pakistan of endangering international aviation by using civil airliners as shields during its recent failed attack on India.

“On May 7 at 20:30 hours, Pakistan launched an unprovoked drone and missile attack against India. Despite initiating this aggression, Pakistan did not close its civil airspace,” said Wing Commander Singh.

She added that Pakistan’s failure to suspend civilian air traffic over its airspace, particularly during an expected Indian counter-response, was a deliberate tactic to use civilian aircraft as cover.

“This is a highly irresponsible and dangerous move. Civil airliners, including international flights, continued flying in Pakistani airspace near the International Border (IB), while India had already cleared its airspace of civil traffic as a safety measure,” she noted.

Referring to live data from FlightRadar24, Singh showed a screenshot depicting the Punjab sector under high air defense alert. The image clearly demonstrated:

• Indian airspace was devoid of civilian flights due to a declared closure.

• In contrast, Pakistani civil air traffic between Karachi and Lahore remained active.

“Despite the provocation, the Indian Air Force exercised considerable restraint in its response to ensure the safety of international civil aviation,” she concluded.