Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday strongly refuted recent claims made by the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief that India had shot down six Pakistani fighter jets during the military clashes in May. Asif described the assertions as “implausible” and “ill-timed,” dismissing them as an attempt to distort facts months after the conflict.
The controversy erupted following a statement by Indian Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh at an event in Bengaluru, where he claimed that India had downed five Pakistani fighter jets and an additional large military aircraft during the May conflict, which marked the worst military confrontation between the two countries in decades.
Singh asserted that most of the Pakistani aircraft were destroyed by India’s Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system, citing electronic tracking data as evidence. He also mentioned the downing of surveillance planes and several F-16 jets parked at Pakistani airbases.
However, Defence Minister Asif vehemently rejected these claims. He reminded that no such statements were made during the three months following the conflict when detailed technical briefings had been presented by Pakistan to international media.
These briefings, Asif said, were supported by independent observers and intelligence assessments, including those from world leaders and senior Indian politicians, which confirmed the loss of multiple Indian aircraft — including three Rafale jets.
Asif insisted, “Not a single Pakistani aircraft was hit or destroyed by India.” Instead, he said Pakistan had successfully shot down six Indian jets, including three Rafales, damaged S-400 air defence batteries, destroyed unmanned aerial vehicles, and disabled several Indian airbases. He stressed that Indian losses along the Line of Control were “disproportionately heavier.”
The Defence Minister also criticized the timing and nature of the Indian Air Chief’s statement, calling it “ironic” that senior Indian military officials were being used as the faces of what he described as “monumental failure caused by the strategic shortsightedness of Indian politicians.”
Asif challenged both countries to open their aircraft inventories for independent verification, stating that such transparency would reveal the truth that India allegedly seeks to hide. He warned that “wars are not won by falsehoods but by moral authority, national resolve, and professional competence,” cautioning against “comical narratives” crafted for domestic political gain that could increase the risk of strategic miscalculations in the nuclear-armed region.
He also issued a stern warning to New Delhi regarding any further violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty, emphasizing that Pakistan will respond swiftly and proportionately to any incursions, holding Indian leaders accountable for any escalation of tensions.
The May conflict began after an attack in Pahalgam on April 22 killed 26 people, with India blaming Pakistan, a claim that Pakistan firmly denied. The situation escalated with India suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, closing border crossings, and undertaking military strikes on Pakistani cities and airbases in early May.
Pakistan retaliated by shooting down Indian jets and launching Operation Bunyanum Marsoos against Indian military installations.
Following intense diplomatic efforts led by US President Donald Trump, a ceasefire was announced and confirmed by both Pakistan and India, bringing an uneasy calm to the volatile situation.
