Pakistan’s claim of shooting down five Indian Rafale fighter jets has come under scrutiny after its Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, failed to provide any credible evidence, instead citing social media as the source.
In an interview with CNN, Asif was asked to back Pakistan’s assertion that its Air Force had downed five Indian jets during India’s targeted strikes under Operation Sindoor. On the night of May 6 and 7, India reportedly launched precision missile strikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan-occupied territory, firing 24 missiles.
Faced with international media, Asif struggled to substantiate the dramatic claim made by the Shahbaz Sharif government. When asked for concrete proof, he responded, “It is all over social media that Indian aircraft were shot down. Not only on Pakistan’s social media but also on Indian platforms, there are claims that we downed three aircraft that fell on Indian territory.”
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The CNN anchor challenged the statement, emphasising the need for official confirmation rather than unverifiable social media chatter. “I’m not asking what’s on social media,” the anchor said. “I’m asking you as Pakistan’s Defence Minister, where is the evidence?”
Despite repeated questioning, Asif appeared evasive and failed to present any official military data or visual proof. His response, relying solely on social media claims, surprised many observers and drew criticism over the credibility of the Pakistani government’s narrative.
India has strongly denied the Pakistani claim, and no independent evidence has emerged to support the alleged shootdown. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force continues operations under heightened alert following the missile strikes.
