The Foreign Office (FO) on Tuesday rejected baseless Indian claims that an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot had shot down a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16 aircraft before being downed and captured in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on 27 February 2019.
Indian pilot, Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, ejected from his MiG-21 after being shot at by a PAF JF-17 Thunder during a dogfight on 27 February. Subsequently, he landed in AJK and was beaten and injured by the locals before being rescued by Pakistan Army personnel. Later, in a viral video, he was seen praising ‘fantastic tea’ and admiring the army officials as ‘thorough gentlemen.’ Afterward, he was handed over to Indian authorities as a gesture of goodwill.
However, on Monday, Abhinandan was accorded with the “Vir Chakra” by the Indian President, Ram Nath Kovind, in an investiture ceremony, for “downing Pakistani F-16 plane in 2019.”
“The citation of the award to the downed Indian pilot is a classic case of Indian fabrications and pure fantasy to appease the domestic audience and hide the embarrassment,” stated the FO in reaction to Indian claims.
The Foreign Office reemphasized that international experts and US officials had already confirmed that no Pakistani F-16 was shot on the day, after taking stock of the Pakistani fleet.
On the other hand, the PAF had also shown the wreckage of Abhinandan’s MiG-21, which had all its missiles intact.
“India’s insistence on propagating a lie that has been thoroughly exposed is ludicrous and nonsensical. Granting military honors for imaginary feats of gallantry is contrary to every norm of military conduct. By giving such an award, also as an afterthought, India has only made a mockery of itself,” the statement added.
The statement added that PAF had shot down two Indian aircraft on 27 February, the other aircraft, Su-30, fell on the other side of the Line of Control (LOC).
On the same day, the Indian military shot down its own Mi-17 helicopter near Srinagar, which it initially denied but accepted the blunder later.
“It is obvious that India’s farcical story has no credibility whatsoever before the international community,” the Foreign Office said, reiterating Pakistan’s resolution to thwart any hostile designs as it was in February 2019.
