In a severe escalation of local tensions, India has openly denounced Pakistan’s deployment of civil airliners as shields during an unprovoked drone and missile attack on May 7 in the evening hours. Speaking during a press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs officials say that the attack, initiated at about 8:30 PM, intentionally put to risk the lives of hundreds of civilians by having regular air traffic continue over Pakistani airspace, when India imposed a no-fly zone on its side of the border for people’s safety.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, during the joint press conference, revealed the audacity of Pakistan’s plan. “Pakistan did not close its civil airspace despite it launching a failed unprovoked drone and missile attack on 7 May at 08:30 hours in the evening… Pakistan is using civil airliner as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response,” she stated.
#WATCH | Delhi: Wing Commander Vyomika Singh says, “…Pakistan did not close its civil airspace despite it launching a failed unprovoked drone and missile attack on 7 May at 08:30 hours in the evening. Pakistan is using civil airliner as a shield, knowing fully well that its… pic.twitter.com/VaTB61Wqr6
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2025
She also offered a screenshot from the flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, which easily demonstrated civilian planes flying across Pakistani airspace during a heightened alert state, while India’s skies were vacated as a precaution. Singh stressed that the Indian Air Force displayed “considerable restraint” to safeguard unwitting international carriers.
In the meantime, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri added to the growing criticism by saying, “These provocative actions that were taken by Pakistan last night were targeted at Indian cities and civilian infrastructure in addition to some military targets. The Indian Armed Forces responded adequately and responsibly.” He also condemned the official denial of the attack by Pakistan as “an example of their duplicity.”
This disturbing trend gravely contravenes global aviation standards and raises deeper concerns about regional air safety during military operations. It also highlights the urgent need for diplomatic responsibility and international attention on such irresponsible actions by the state.
