Pakistan Rejects Claims of Downed Fighter Jet
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has dismissed as false and misleading reports circulated by Afghan and Indian media outlets claiming that a Pakistani fighter jet was shot down in Afghanistan and its pilot taken into custody.
The controversy emerged following what Pakistani officials described as decisive military action by the armed forces against the Taliban regime. In the aftermath, social media accounts linked to Afghan authorities began circulating claims that Afghan forces had downed a Pakistani aircraft in Nangarhar province and captured the pilot alive.
Information Ministry Denies Pilot Capture Allegations
According to statements attributed to the Ministry of Defence in Afghanistan, Afghan forces allegedly shot down a Pakistani fighter jet in Nangarhar. However, Pakistan’s Information Ministry said no such incident occurred and described the claims as entirely fabricated.
The ministry stated that Pakistani authorities, international media outlets, and defense institutions have not confirmed any loss of aircraft or capture of personnel. It further emphasized that there is no evidence supporting the assertion that a Pakistani pilot was detained.
Officials Term Propaganda Campaign Misleading
In a separate clarification, the ministry noted that an image circulated by Afghan sources as proof of the alleged downing was, in fact, from an unrelated 2021 aircraft crash involving a Russian plane in Turkey. Officials said the reuse of the image demonstrated the baseless nature of the claims.
The statement added that the unverified reports were amplified by segments of Indian and Afghan media, describing the dissemination as part of a broader misinformation effort. It characterized the allegations as deceptive and lacking any factual grounding.
Islamabad Calls Afghan-Indian Reports ‘Fabricated’
Officials in Islamabad said the spread of such claims reflects an organized negative propaganda campaign aimed at damaging Pakistan’s image. They described the allegations as an attempt to deflect attention from recent developments on the ground.
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Citing assessments from international observers, the statement said the propagation of false narratives could be an effort to obscure setbacks faced by the Afghan Taliban regime. It also criticized the deletion of certain posts from official and affiliated accounts after scrutiny, calling it inappropriate conduct.
The ministry reiterated its position that no Pakistani fighter jet was shot down and no pilot was captured. It urged media organizations and social media users to verify information through credible sources before sharing content related to sensitive security matters.
