The Pakistan Army Monday rejected Indian claims that a Pakistani F-16 was shot down in an air battle on February 27.
“Reference to repeated Indian claims about shooting down of Pakistani F-16 by India and use of F-16 in air battle on 27 February. The event of 27 Feb is part of history now. No Pakistani F-16 was hit by Indian Air Force,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
The ISPR said strikes by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) across the Line of Control (LoC) were carried out by JF-17s from within the Pakistan’s airspace.
“Later when 2 Indian jets crossed LOC, they were shot down by PAF. Whether it was F-16 or JF-17 which shot down 2 Indian aircrafts is irrelevant,” the statement read. “Even if F-16s have been used as at that point in time, complete PAF was airborne including F-16s, the fact remains that Pakistan Air Force shot down two Indian jets in self-defence. India can assume any type of their choice even F-16,” the statement read. “Pakistan retains the right to use anything and everything in its legitimate self-defence,” it stressed.
Last month, ISPR Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor in an interview with the international media had categorically rejected Indian claims that Pakistan used US-made F-16s to down Indian aircraft on February 27. “The aircraft which engaged those targets and fought them were JF-17s. As regard to how to use F-16, in what context [they] were used or not – because at that point of time our entire Air Force was airborne – now it remains between Pakistan and the US to see how the MoUs regarding the use of F-16 have been adhered to or otherwise,” he had said in an interview to Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik.