Pakistani Defence Minister runs to CNN boasting about downing Indian jets, fumbles and claims ‘social media’ when asked to show evidence
In a bizzare turn of events, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the Defence Minister of Pakistan, has attributed his nation’s claims of having downed five Indian fighter jets, including Rafales during “Operation Sindoor” to ‘social media posts’. Pakistan has been relentless in its propaganda in light of the rising tensions between the two countries.
“It is all on social media, and Indian social media, not our social media. The debris of the jets fell on their side. It is all over the Indian media,” he replied when CNN interviewer Becky Anderson asked him for any concrete evidence to back the claims. “You’re the defence minister, sir. The reason to talk to you today, is not to talk about content all over social media,” she interjected and pointed out that he was not summoned to talk about social media content but rather to present genuine proof.
When she again urged him to substantiate his statement with evidence, inquiring whether any Chinese equipment was utilized to bring down the Rafael jets, he denied and then continued to stumble over his words.
He stated that Pakistan possesses Chinese aircraft that are produced and assembled domestically. He subsequently launched into a tirade about India’s procurement of aircraft from France, declaring that his country could similarly acquire them from China, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom for their own use. “They have already admitted that their three planes are down,” he alleged, disregarding the issue of evidence entirely.
When the persistent anchor pressed him for an explanation about how the Indian jets were shot down and if any Chinese technology was utilized, he delved into yet another nonsensical response and remarked that the incident occurred during a dogfight, further mentioning that missiles were fired from “Pakistani tanks”. He then added that the Indian planes were brought down by JF17 or JF10 “which were involved in the combat.”
“There is a possibility of expansion of this conflict into a full-fledged war, which we are trying to avoid,” he further announced. He referred to Indian strikes as a “clear-cut violation, and an invitation to expand the conflict and maybe convert it into something much wider and much more dangerous for the region.”
It is ludicrous that a sitting Defence Minister cites ‘social media posts’ to support his claims of shooting down enemy fighter jets. While the evidence of India’s missile strikes against Pakistan’s terrorist infrastructure was presented by Indian forces in an official press briefing, showing the precise location, satellite imagery and drone visuals of bombing, all Pakistan has to claim they shot down Indian jets is “social media posts”.
The destroyed Pakistani buildings after India’s missile strike were all over Pakistani and international media, open for all to see. But for the grand feat of downing five Indian fighter planes, all Pakistan has is unverified claims, and ‘social media posts’ repeating those unverified claims, a loop of blatant lies.
The social media posts are nothing but further unverified claims, deleted posts and unnamed ‘sources’.
India in the night of 6th May targeted terrorist installations such as training camps and launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), at nine locations leading to the elimination of dozens of terrorists after heinous Pahalgam terror attack on 22nd April which claimed the lives of 26 Hindu tourists and wounded several others in the Baisaran Valley. Pakistan has been involved in an outrageous disinformation campaign since India targeted its terror infrastructure.
Where is the proof
Notably, Pakistan has failed to provide video proof or even a photograph of the Indian fighters jets that were allegedly shot down by them. One unconfirmed video that has gone viral on social media showed locals filming an airplane’s underwing. However, the purported Rafale jet’s picture was originally posted in September 2024. Global Times, a Chinese media house, also posted that Pakistan reportedly shot down three Indian fighter jets.
However, the Indian Embassy in China promptly refuted them and asked the outlet to verify facts and scrutinize sources prior to sharing such disinformation. Community Notes also fact-checked the dragon’s propaganda. “There’s no truth to claims about any Indian aircraft being shot down. No evidence, no official word, no credible sources. It’s all dis/misinformation designed to mislead and push fake narratives. Don’t fall for it. Always check the facts,” it read.
The Hindu initially reported that three Indian fighter jets had crashed in the Akhnoor region of Jammu and Kashmir, “according to a government official”. However, the tweet was subsequently removed and the publication confirmed that there was no official information on record from India regarding this incident. Interestingly, The Hindu had shown the images of discarded extra fuel tanks, which are ejected by fighter jets to shed weight during flight.
Pakistani security officials told reporters that their forces shot down an Israeli-made Heron drone, three French-built Rafale fighter jets, one MiG-29 and one Su-30MKI, describing the action as “self-defense,” in a statement. Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry repeated the lies. As expected, he did not present any proof either, including the sites and strategies related to the supposed shootdowns.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has also debunked multiple falsehoods that have been making the rounds on Pakistani social media and other platforms. According to several social media posts, 15 Indian sites were the target of retaliatory assaults, including the destruction of Indian Army infrastructure and fighter jets as well as attacks on Srinagar Airbase. However, these claims lacked reliable proof, such as satellite imagery or verifiable video footage and were primarily spread by accounts connected to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Internal challenges cripple Pakistan Army
While Pakistani officials are preoccupied with discrediting themselves internationally through baseless claims, the Pakistan Army is facing a series of significant problems. Pakistan has resorted to targeting civilians in Jammu and Kashmir out of frustration after India successfully hammered them on 7th May. The Indian forces have also retaliated with equal intensity against the unprovoked and continuous violations.
On the other hand, in a compounded blow to the Pakistani armed forces, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for two attacks in the Bolan and Kech regions of Balochistan province, causing the deaths of 14 soldiers.
Pakistan’s dependence on proxy groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is being questioned by mid-ranking officers, who contend that these strategies no longer offer plausible deniability and run the risk of widespread Indian retribution. India’s 2019 Balakot airstrike demonstrated that proxy warfare has not changed the situation in Kashmir and made Pakistan more vulnerable to cross-border attacks and diplomatic isolation.
Officers argue that while Pakistan continues to face international penalties, including the FATF grey-listing until 2022, the government only receives symbolic wins. According to the sources, officials are also becoming increasingly concerned about India’s quick mobilization and sophisticated defenses, such as the S-400 missile systems, which could surpass defenses in a traditional conflict. Proxy strikes, like the Poonch ambush in 2023, run the potential to grow more catastrophic.
With inflation at 38% and a debt-to-GDP ratio of 88%, economic difficulties make matters worse by reducing defense spending. The administration imposed austerity measures and reduced the military budget by 15% for 2023–2024. Some units are using crowdsourcing to pay for basic supplies, while junior officers assert delays in hazard pay of three to six months.
Conclusion
Similar to Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, meanwhile, asserted in a speech to the Pakistani parliament that they had shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales and drones. He added that up to 80 Indian planes took part in the operation, again, with zero evidence.
As the economy falters and internal discord persists, the Pakistan Army finds itself besieged from multiple fronts, while the oblivious Pakistan government is busy making ridiculous assertions in an effort to mislead the international community and continue its habit of lies and falsehoods.
However, in their pursuit of these baseless declarations, they have completely failed to recognize that every must be backed by verifiable evidence which is glaringly absent. Nobody in Pakistan has any credible image of deceased pilots, aircraft wreckage or any shred of evidence to support their claim. Even if one takes the argument that the fighter planes Pakistan allegedly shot down fell on the Indian side, the dozens of media personnel swarming all over Jammu and Kashmir and border areas, with the general public equipped with mobile internet, have nothing so far to support the claim.
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