Indian Air Chief’s Foolish Claim Further Damaged India’s Already Declining Reputation: Khawaja Asif

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif dismissed the Indian Air Chief’s false claims of having destroyed Pakistani fighter jets as a failed attempt to revive Modi’s “cremated and reduced-to-ashes politics” in India.

In a statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Khawaja Asif remarked that the Indian Air Chief appeared to have woken up from a deep slumber after three months and only now remembered that they had allegedly destroyed Pakistani aircraft.

He stated that this claim was a desperate move to reignite Modi’s defunct political narrative, which, according to him, no longer holds significance either within India or internationally. He further argued that the Indian Air Chief’s claim further damaged India’s already declining reputation.

In an earlier message, the Defence Minister addressed the Indian Air Chief’s delayed assertion regarding “Operation Sindoor,” labeling it as not only incomprehensible but also meaningless given the time elapsed since the incident. He pointed out the irony in senior Indian military officials being used to cover up strategic failures by Indian politicians.

Khawaja Asif observed that no such claims had been made by India during the three months immediately following the incident, whereas Pakistan had promptly provided detailed technical briefings to international media. He noted that independent observers, global leaders, senior Indian politicians, and even foreign intelligence sources had acknowledged the significant losses suffered by India — including damages to Rafale jets and other military assets.

He maintained that India had not succeeded in downing even a single Pakistani aircraft. On the contrary, Pakistan had reportedly destroyed six Indian fighter jets, the S-400 air defense system, and several Indian drones. He also claimed that multiple Indian airbases had to be temporarily shut down as a result.

He stated that Indian forces had also incurred significant losses along the Line of Control (LoC). He suggested that if both countries truly sought transparency, they should allow independent verification of their aircraft and assets. However, he expressed doubt that India would agree, as doing so could expose the reality it was trying to conceal.

Asif emphasized that wars are not won through fabricated narratives, but through moral strength, national resolve, and professional capability. He warned that politically motivated and absurd claims such as these increase the risk of serious strategic miscalculations in a nuclear-armed region like South Asia.

He concluded by reaffirming Pakistan’s position, stating that any violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as seen during Operation Swift Retort, would be met with a swift, decisive, and proportionate response. He held India’s leadership responsible for any future escalation, accusing them of risking regional peace for short-term political gains.

Read More: Field Marshal Asim Munir Meets Senior U.S. Political, Military Leadership on official US Trip