ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor on Wednesday brushed aside India claims of having shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet, the Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency reported.
“All Indian media claims of shooting down a Pakistani F-16 are false as the said aircraft was not even used in any operation,” he said while addressing a media briefing in Rawalpindi.
The director general ISPR said that as a result of shooting down of two Indian fighter jets, Indian pilot had been arrested. He said that one of the Indian pilots is injured and being provided all necessary medical treatment by us at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) as a responsible State while the second pilot is in our custody.
Major General Asif Ghafoor said that Pakistan has only exercised its right of self defence and demonstrated its will & capability. He said that they didn’t intend to escalate the situation.
“If aggression is imposed upon on us we will retaliate out of self-defense. Pakistan is not pushing the environment towards war,” he said.
The DG ISPR also said that Pakistan wants peace, and we don’t want to celebrate as Indian journos. He said that war is no solution and we showed restraint in our actions and responsibility in our response, adding that the people of both nations deserve to live in peace.
“We have sent a message to India that despite having the capability to engage, we have shown restraint. Our aim is to defend our motherland and yet to ensure no unnecessary provocation to escalate takes place,” Major General Asif Ghafoor said.
“Our actions of today were purely in self defence. There should be no victory or war rhetoric as we believe war is not the answer & we wish to live in peace,” he added.