Operation Sindoor Aftermath: Pak’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif refuses to reveal details of fighter jet ops, cites ‘social media’ as source

Operation Sindoor Aftermath: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently exposed the misinformation campaign that has been running in Pakistan following the success of India’s Operation Sindoor, which destroyed nine terror sites.

In a bizarre interview, Asif defended the claim that Pakistan had shot down five Indian fighter jets, attributing the evidence to social media. When asked about the details of how the Pakistani forces shot down Indian fighter jets, he refused to disclose the specific aircraft used in the operation.

“It’s all over the social media, on Indian social media, not on our social media. The debris of these jets fell into Kashmir. And it’s all over Indian media today and they have admitted,” Asif said. The interviewer quickly responded, “I’m sorry we didn’t ask you here to talk about social media content,” ANI reported.

Speaking on the equipment involved during an interview, Asif denied the use of Chinese equipment, clarifying, “No, Chinese equipment. We have Chinese planes, JF-17 and JF-10. They are Chinese planes, but they are being manufactured, assembled in Pakistan now. We have very close to Islamabad, we have a facility over there where these planes are manufactured, and if India can buy planes from France and use them, we can also buy planes from China or Russia or United States, UK, and use them.”

Khawaja Asif admits Pakistan’s past support for terror organisations

In a separate viral video clip from April, Khawaja Asif made a significant admission regarding Pakistan’s past support for terror groups. When asked by Sky News’ Yalda Hakim if Pakistan had been backing and training terrorist organisations, Asif responded candidly: “We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about 3 decades… and the west, including Britain… That was a mistake, and we suffered for that, and that is why you are saying this to me. If we had not joined the war against the Soviet Union and later on the war after 9/11, Pakistan’s track record was unimpeachable.” 

Asif’s statement acknowledged Pakistan’s longstanding association with terrorism, revealing a history of complicity that the country has now admitted.

‘Operation Sindoor’ strikes terror hideouts

In retaliation to the Pahalgam terrorist attack, the Indian Army on Wednesday launched a targeted strike against terror hideouts deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir under ‘Operation Sindoor.’ Wing Commander Vyomika Singh confirmed that a total of nine terror sites were successfully destroyed, ensuring minimal civilian impact.

Despite Pakistan’s acknowledgment of the strikes, the country began spreading false claims that five Indian fighter jets had been shot down. The Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB) quickly debunked these allegations, exposing the use of old and unrelated images to falsely claim downed Rafale jets. One such example included a viral image purportedly showing an Indian Rafale shot down near Bahawalpur. The PIB clarified that this image actually depicted a MiG-21 crash in Moga, Punjab, in 2021, with no relation to the current conflict.

Additionally, Pakistan’s Minister Attaullah Tarar contributed to the misinformation by publicly endorsing a fabricated story that the Indian Army had raised a white flag in surrender at Chora Post. This narrative, amplified by Tarar without evidence, served as part of a broader misinformation campaign aimed at misleading the Pakistani public.

(With inputs from ANI)