Indian expert asks for evidence after Air Chief’s claim of downing Pakistani jets.
An Indian defense expert has demanded evidence to substantiate claims made by the Indian Air Force Chief regarding shooting down a Pakistani jet during Operation Sindoor.
On August 9, the Air Force Chief claimed that during Operation Sindoor, Indian forces shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and a large aircraft, with the possibility of having damaged or destroyed an unspecified number of Pakistani F-16s on the ground.
Indian journalist and defense analyst Pravin Sawhney has expressed scepticism about the air chief’s assertions.
In an interview with Karan Thapar for the Indian news website The Wire, Sawhney stated, “The air chief’s claim doesn’t stand up to scrutiny at all. There are far too many gaps.”
He further demanded, “Where is the evidence?” Sawhney suggested that the Air Chief’s statement might have been prompted by “a last-minute instruction given to the Chief by somebody”, though he refrained from speculating on who might have issued such a directive.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif also denied Indian claims of unproven destruction of Pakistani aircraft during Operation Sindoor, stating they were inappropriate.
Khawaja Asif gave his statement while speaking on national media and social platform X, claiming that not a single Pakistani aircraft was hit or destroyed by India, while Pakistan had successfully shot down six Indian fighter jets and had reduced multiple Indian airbases to rubble. He added that the Line of Control (LoC) gave greater losses to India, which they didn’t publicly acknowledge.
To verify their claims, he further challenged both nations to present their aircraft inventory records to independent international bodies. “Lies do not win wars,” Khawaja Asif said, suggesting transparent and correct military reporting.
Khawaja Asif also warned India on a serious note, stating that any Pakistan airspace violation will be met with a “swift and effective response”.
As tensions rise, Pakistan is still keeping its airspace closed to Indian airlines, and India is doing the same in return.
This situation highlights the delicate relationship in South Asia, where strong words and military displays are closely linked.
