By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday strongly rejected the Indian Air Force Chief’s recent claim that India had shot down six Pakistani fighter jets during May’s conflict , terming the assertion “implausible” and “ill-timed.”

In a detailed statement, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the belated claim was not only factually incorrect but also a desperate attempt to mask “monumental failure” of India’s military strategy.

“For three months, no such claims were voiced,” Asif noted. “In the immediate aftermath of the conflict, Pakistan presented detailed technical briefings to the international media, while independent observers acknowledged the loss of multiple Indian aircraft, including Rafales. These admissions were corroborated by world leaders, senior Indian politicians, and foreign intelligence assessments.”

The minister stressed that not a single Pakistani aircraft had been hit or destroyed during the operation. Instead, he said, Pakistan had inflicted significant damage on India’s air capabilities. “Pakistan destroyed six Indian fighter jets, S-400 air defence batteries, and unmanned aircraft, while swiftly putting several Indian airbases out of action,” he asserted. “Losses on the Line of Control for the Indian armed forces were disproportionately heavier as well.”

Challenging India to substantiate its claims, Asif proposed an independent verification of both countries’ aircraft inventories. “If the truth is in question, let both sides open their inventories for impartial inspection—though we suspect this would expose the reality India seeks to obscure,” he said.

The defence minister criticised what he called “comical narratives” crafted for domestic political gain, warning that such rhetoric increases the risk of dangerous miscalculation in a nuclearised environment. “Wars are not won by falsehoods but by moral authority, national resolve, and professional competence,” he said.

His statement comes after Indian Air Force Chief Amar Preet Singh Saturday claimed that New Delhi had shot down six Pakistani aircraft, including five fighter jets, during the four-day conflict in May this year.

Recalling Pakistan’s response during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, Asif warned that any violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty or territorial integrity would invite a “swift, surefire, and proportionate” reaction. He placed responsibility for any future escalation squarely on “strategically blind leaders who gamble with South Asia’s peace for fleeting political gains.”