Islamabad, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has challenged India to allow an independent verification of both countries’ current aircraft inventories, in response to recent claims by the Indian Air Force Chief that India destroyed six Pakistani aircraft during the May 7 aerial clashes.
In a statement, Khawaja Asif rejected the Indian assertion, stating, “India has neither shot down nor destroyed even a single Pakistani aircraft. The delayed claims by the Indian Air Force Chief are as irrational as they are ill-timed — no such allegation was made for three months.”
He recalled that Pakistan had immediately briefed the international media after the conflict, providing detailed technical evidence, while neutral observers acknowledged the destruction of multiple Indian aircraft, including Rafales. These admissions, he said, came from various sources — world leaders, Indian politicians, and foreign intelligence assessments.
According to the Defence Minister, Pakistan destroyed six Indian fighter jets, the S-400 air defence system, several drones, and swiftly rendered multiple Indian air bases inoperative. He noted that Indian military losses along the Line of Control were also significantly higher than Pakistan’s.
Challenging India, Khawaja Asif said, “If there is any doubt about the facts, let both nations open their current aircraft inventories for independent verification. We believe such an audit will expose the truth India is trying to hide.”
He emphasised that wars are not won through lies but through moral superiority, national resolve, and professional competence. He warned that such fabricated narratives, often crafted for domestic political gain, risk serious strategic miscalculations in a nuclear-armed region.
The Defence Minister’s remarks came after Indian Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, four months after the clashes, claimed that the Indian Air Force had destroyed six Pakistani aircraft, including five fighter jets, by striking Pakistani airfields. Asif pointed out that the Indian claim lacked evidence and further undermined the professional credibility of the IAF, whereas Pakistan had released detailed proof — including wreckage evidence, media coverage, and even intercepted cockpit communications from Indian pilots — within days of the encounter.
