Khawaja Asif cites social media as evidence of shooting down Indian jets during Operation Sindoor, drawing ridicule amid mounting calls for credible proof.
May 8, 2025: In a statement that has raised eyebrows internationally, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that the evidence for his country’s claim of shooting down five Indian jets — including Rafales — during Operation Sindoor lies on “social media.”
In an interview with CNN, when pressed to provide tangible evidence backing Pakistan’s claims, Asif responded, “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.”
No Proof, Only Propaganda
India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of Wednesday, targeting nine terrorist facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
Also Read: Loud Explosion Reported in Lahore Day After India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ Strikes
Following the strike, Pakistan claimed it had shot down several Indian jets. However, India’s Press Information Bureau’s fact-checking unit clarified that viral images circulating on social media — allegedly showing a downed Rafale — were from an unrelated 2021 MiG-21 crash in Punjab’s Moga district.
“Beware of old images shared by pro-Pakistan handles,” the PIB said, dismissing the Pakistani narrative as misinformation.
Pakistan’s Contradictory Messaging
Asif’s contradictory stance also came through in his interviews. While stating that Pakistan wanted to “avoid a full-fledged war,” he simultaneously declared that his country was “ready for one.”
“There is a possibility of expansion of this conflict into a full-fledged war, which we are trying to avoid,” he told CNN, labeling India’s strike as “an invitation to expand the conflict.”
Later, speaking to Bloomberg, he adopted a conciliatory tone, saying, “If India backs down, we will definitely wrap up this tension.”
Pakistan’s National Security Committee has authorized its military to retaliate “at a time, place, and manner of its choosing.”
India Responds With Precision
Meanwhile, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lauded the Indian Armed Forces for their “precision, precaution, and compassion” in executing the strikes under Operation Sindoor, reiterating that no military targets were hit — only terror infrastructure was destroyed.
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Operation Sindoor, Khawaja Asif, IAF Rafale, India-Pakistan tensions, fake news, social media misinformation, PIB Fact Check, Pahalgam terror attack, Indian Air Force, Indian military strike, Pakistan Defence Minister, OperationSindoor,