Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif is facing criticism once again for spreading misinformation following India's Operation Sindoor, which involved precise military strikes that targeted and destroyed nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir. 

In a CNN interview, Asif claimed that Pakistani forces had shot down five Indian fighter jets, relying solely on social media as his source. “It’s all over social media, on Indian social media, not ours,” he said. “The debris of these jets fell into Kashmir. It’s all over Indian media today, and they have admitted.” The anchor quickly responded, “I’m sorry, we didn’t ask you here to talk about social media content.”

When asked for more specific information, such as the type of aircraft used to down the Indian jets or any checkable proof, Asif could not deliver concrete details. When questioned if Chinese equipment was involved, he shifted the conversation, saying, “We have Chinese planes—JF-17 and JF-10—manufactured and assembled in Pakistan now. If India can buy planes from France and use them, we can also buy planes from China, Russia, the US, UK, and use them.” 

This isn't the first time Khawaja Asif has made shocking statements. In a recent interview with Sky News’s Yalda Hakim, Asif openly admitted to Pakistan's long-standing support for terrorist groups. “We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades… and the West, including Britain,” he confessed. “That was a mistake, and we suffered for that.” 

On Wednesday morning, India launched Operation Sindoor, a joint tri-services strike aimed at nine key terror facilities in Pakistan and PoJK, as a retaliatory measure for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh assured that the operation was executed accurately to minimise civilian casualties.

In response, Pakistani officials claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets, and this narrative quickly spread on social media. However, these claims were thoroughly debunked. The Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check team revealed multiple instances of misinformation. One widely shared image that supposedly showed a downed Indian Rafale jet near Bahawalpur was actually from a 2021 MiG-21 crash in Moga, Punjab, and had no connection to the current situation. 

Another misleading video went viral, falsely declaring that Indian soldiers raised a white flag and surrendered at Chora post. Pakistan's Minister Attaullah Tarar publicly supported this fabricated video, giving legitimacy to a false and unverified story, which only added to the continuing disinformation campaign. Pakistan's reliance on manipulated media and unfounded social media rumours following Operation Sindoor has exposed flaws in its report and increased doubts about the credibility of its leadership.