Reports by Indian media claiming the downing of a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16 fighter jet have been denounced as “blatant lies and fake news,” according to Pakistani security sources. They described the narrative as a product of confusion and mental paralysis among Indian decision-makers following the recent loss of dozens of Indian drones within Pakistani territory.
Security officials noted India’s growing frustration after the repeated failure of its Harop drone incursions. Pakistan’s armed forces, they emphasized, remain fully alert and capable of countering any hostile action from India.
“In a state of panic,” one security source said, “India is now fabricating stories about attacks in Rajasthan, Pathankot, and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to justify potential future aggression against Pakistan.”
Analysts have drawn comparisons between this latest disinformation campaign and the 2019 post-Balakot episode. At that time, during Operation Swift Retort, Pakistan shot down two Indian fighter jets after Indian airstrikes on Balakot. One Indian pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was captured after his MiG-21 was downed. India had claimed that before being shot down, he had taken out a Pakistani F-16 — a claim Pakistan strongly denied.
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Later that year, Foreign Policy magazine cited U.S. defense officials who verified that all Pakistani F-16s were accounted for, directly contradicting India’s assertion. The then military spokesperson from Pakistan stated: “India’s claims about the attack and its consequences are false. It’s time India told the truth about the second jet it lost.”
Despite the lack of independent confirmation, India awarded Abhinandan the Vir Chakra, its third-highest wartime military honor, for allegedly downing a Pakistani F-16.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office has firmly rejected Indian media reports alleging Pakistani strikes in Pathankot, Jaisalmer, and Srinagar. In a statement issued Thursday evening, the spokesperson labeled the accusations “baseless, politically motivated, and reckless propaganda.”
“This repeated tactic of leveling unfounded charges without credible investigation is clearly a strategy to manufacture justification for aggression and regional destabilization,” the spokesperson added.
The statement warned that any escalation based on fabricated narratives would be met with unwavering resolve. “Pakistan remains committed to peace but will not tolerate provocations. It reserves the right to respond to any act of aggression in defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement concluded.
