Pak rejects Indian claims of shooting down F-16

Islamabad: The Indian claims of shooting down an F-16 plane of the Pakistan Air Force are baseless, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Sunday. The Indian government and media are spreading misinformation to hide its failures, the foreign office said. Pakistan responsibly responded to Indian aggression. The Foreign Office spokesperson said Indian government and media are misleading international community as well as their own people by telling lies to hide failures. The spokesperson stated that Indian has not left its aggressive approach despite Pakistan’s sincere efforts for peace. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan returned the captured Indian pilot to send a message of peace, and the move was appreciated by the whole world except India, he added. Foreign Office said that two natives were involved in the Pulwama attack who used local ammunitions and vehicles, and PM Imran Khan offered fair investigations despite that. Indian jets entered Pakistani airspace on February 27. Pakistan shot down Indian jets using its right to defence as entering another country’s airspace is a complete violation of the international law, said the statement. On Saturday, India requested the US to investigate Pakistan’s alleged use of the American-made F-16 jets during an aerial engagement between the two neighbours last month, reported CNN. “We have asked the United States to also examine whether the use of F-16 against India is in accordance with the terms and conditions of sale,” said the spokesperson of the Indian foreign ministry. New Delhi claims it has electronic evidence and eye-witness accounts that one such jet was shot down by Wing Commander Abhinandan, On February 14, over 40 Indian soldiers were killed in a suicide explosion in Pulwama in Indian-administered Kashmir. The attack was reportedly claimed by the JeM. Indian government and media were quick to blame Pakistan, which rejected the allegations. Pakistan rejects India’s baseless statements over the Pulwama attack, the statement said. Pulwama attack occurred because of local reasons, it was miles away from the Line of Control and Pakistan did not play any role in it, the foreign office said. India submitted its dossier on Pulwama attack on February 28. It is being examined and an update on it will be shared soon, the ministry’s statement added. Tensions between the two countries escalated further after Indian planes violated Pakistani airspace and released their payload inside Pakistan’s territory on February 26. In response, Pakistan shot down two Indian planes in Kashmir on the very next day. One plane crashed in the Kohi Rata sector of Azad Kashmir while another in Indian-Administered Kashmir’s Budgam area. A pilot of the Indian Air Force, identified as Abhinandan, was also taken into custody. However, he was handed over to Indian authorities as a gesture of peace. The spokesperson demanded the international community to stop India from its atrocities in the Occupied Kashmir.