Pakistan used civilian airliner as shield, didn’t close civil airspace: Centre

New Delhi: The Centre, briefing the nation over Pakistan’s repeated airspace aggression after the dismantling of terror infrastructure on its soil, said on Friday that the neighbouring nation was using civilian flights as ‘cover’ and it didn’t even close the civilian airspace despite launching an attack on India.

“Pakistan’s irresponsible behaviour has again come to the fore. It did not close its civil airspace despite launching a failed unprovoked drone and missile attack on 7 May at 8.30 hours in the evening,” Wing Commander Vyomika Singh told the press, during a special briefing on Operation Sindoor.

“Pakistan is using civil airliner as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response,” she said.

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi also held up a printout of the screenshot of flight-tracking data from the time of the drone attack.

She said that the airspace on the Indian side was absolutely devoid of civil air traffic due to our declared closure. However, civil airlines kept flying on the air route between Karachi and Lahore.

Wing Commander Vyomika Singh added: “Indian Air Force demonstrated considerable restraint in its response thus ensuring the safety of international civil carriers.”

She also informed that the Pakistani army violated Indian airspace several times over the entire western border with the intention of targeting military infrastructure and one Pakistani unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was also directed towards Bhatinda military station, but that was foiled.

Responding to Pakistan’s brazen attack, India launched armed drones at four air defence sites and one drone also destroyed an AD (air defence) radar system there.

Sharing details about last night’s provocation by Pakistan, the officers said that more than 300-400 drones were directed across the border at about 36 locations, but all that were successfully negated and neutralised by the forces.

IANS