Khawaja Asif Dismisses Indian Air Chief’s Claims as ‘False, Ridiculous and Far from Truth’
Islamamabad: Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Saturday strongly rejected the Indian Air Chief’s recent claims of downing Pakistani aircraft during “Operation Sindoor,” terming them false, ridiculous, and entirely divorced from reality.
In a post on X, the defence minister criticised the belated assertions as “implausible and ill-timed,” saying it was ironic that senior Indian military officers were being used to cover up what he described as a “monumental failure” caused by the strategic shortsightedness of Indian politicians.
“For three months, no such claims were made—while Pakistan, in the immediate aftermath, presented detailed technical briefings to the international media,” he said, adding that independent observers, world leaders, senior Indian politicians, and foreign intelligence assessments had widely acknowledged the loss of multiple Indian aircraft, including Rafales.
The minister categorically stated that “not a single Pakistani aircraft was hit or destroyed” during the operation. On the contrary, he said, Pakistan destroyed six Indian jets, S-400 air defence batteries, and unmanned aircraft, while swiftly disabling several Indian airbases. Losses on the Line of Control for the Indian armed forces, he added, were also disproportionately higher.
Khawaja Asif challenged India to open its aircraft inventories for independent verification, saying such transparency would expose the reality New Delhi seeks to hide. “Wars are not won by falsehoods but by moral authority, national resolve and professional competence,” he remarked.
Warning against “comical narratives” crafted for domestic political gains, the defence minister said they risked dangerous miscalculations in a nuclearised region. He reiterated that, as demonstrated during “Operation Bunyanum Marsoos,” every violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would be met with a swift, proportionate response—holding Indian leaders fully responsible for any escalation.
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