Pakistan downed Indian jets with Chinese aircraft, says Ishaq Dar
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has confirmed that all Indian fighter jets involved in the recent cross-border escalation were shot down by Pakistan using Chinese-made J-10C aircraft.
According to a social media post on X, he asserted that Pakistan's air force, equipped with J-10C fighters armed with PL-15E air-to-air missiles (with a reduced range of 145 km), successfully downed multiple Indian aircraft, including Rafale fighter jets.
While questioning the competence of Indian pilots and highlighting the underperformance of Rafale jets, Dar said that Pakistan's JF-17 Block III and J-10C fighters, supported by Chinese ZDK-03 and Swedish Saab 2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) systems, played a crucial role in detecting and engaging the Indian aircraft.
❗️🇵🇰⚔️🇮🇳 - Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar claimed that Pakistan shot down all Indian fighter jets, including Rafale jets, using Chinese-made J-10C aircraft equipped with PL-15E air-to-air missiles (range reduced to 145 km).
Dar stated that Indian pilots showed poor… pic.twitter.com/db1K4jtiSm — 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) May 7, 2025
Despite India's superior missile systems, such as the French-made Meteor missiles with a range exceeding 150 km, and its AWACS fleet including the Beriev A-50EI and DRDO Netra, Dar noted that no confirmed Pakistani aircraft losses were reported.
His statement aligns with recent remarks by two US officials who told Reuters that a Chinese-made J-10C fighter jet operated by Pakistan shot down at least two Indian military aircraft. One of the officials, speaking anonymously, said there was "high confidence" in the assessment, with one of the downed jets confirmed to be a French-built Rafale.
India has not acknowledged the loss of any aircraft and maintains that it conducted successful strikes targeting what it called 'terrorist infrastructure' inside Pakistani territory.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Express Tribune
Pakistan welcomes Court of Arbitration Award affirming IWT rights
A view of the Uri-II hydroelectric project dam on Jhelum River, which flows from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir into Azad Kashmir, near Uri in Baramulla district. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article Pakistan has welcomed an Award issued by the Court of Arbitration on August 8, interpreting key aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), calling the decision a significant affirmation of its rights over the Western Rivers. The ruling, made public on the Court's website Monday, clarifies the criteria for new run-of-river hydropower projects India plans to construct on the Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus rivers. In a major finding, the Court declared that India must 'let flow' the waters of the western rivers for Pakistan's unrestricted use. It emphasised that any exceptions for hydro-electric generation must adhere strictly to the treaty's provisions rather than India's preferred 'ideal' or 'best practices' standards. 🔸 #PCA Press Release | The Indus Waters Western Rivers Arbitration (Islamic Republic of Pakistan v. Republic of India) 🔸 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲… — Permanent Court of Arbitration (@PCA_CPA) August 11, 2025 India has repeatedly refused to participate in the arbitration, challenging the Court's jurisdiction. However, the Court unanimously rejected India's objections in a prior July 6, 2023 ruling and confirmed that it was properly constituted and competent to hear the dispute. A Supplemental Award issued on June 27, 2025, further clarified that India's April 2025 announcement placing the Treaty 'in abeyance' did not limit the Court's competence. Throughout the proceedings, the Court ensured India remained informed and invited to participate, while thoroughly assessing Pakistan's claims through hearings, written submissions, and examination of historical and publicly available evidence. It also addresses the legal effect of decisions by dispute resolution bodies under the Treaty, such as courts of arbitration and neutral experts. The Foreign Office, in a statement on Monday, said, 'The Court's findings on low-level outlets, gated spillways, intakes for the turbines, and freeboard are in line with Pakistan's interpretation of the relevant provisions of the Treaty.' The Award also limits India's ability to maximise pondage volume, curbing potential overuse of water resources. Importantly, the Court noted that its Awards are final and binding on both India and Pakistan, with a controlling legal effect on future arbitration and neutral expert rulings, read the statement. It further added that recognising Pakistan's position as the downstream riparian state, the Court reaffirmed that the Treaty's objective is to define the rights and obligations of both parties with an emphasis on mutual cooperation and effective dispute resolution. The Award holds special significance amid India's recent announcement to place the Treaty in abeyance and its earlier boycott of the arbitration proceedings. 🔊PR NO.2️⃣3️⃣7️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ Pakistan Welcomes the Award Rendered by the Court of Arbitration on the Issues of General Interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). 🔗⬇️ — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 11, 2025 Pakistan described the ruling as 'an endorsement of Pakistan's historical stance' on the water-sharing issues. Pakistan reiterated its commitment to the full implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty and urged India to immediately resume normal Treaty functioning and to 'faithfully implement the Award announced by the Court of Arbitration.' Pak IWT stance vindicated by arbitration court Earlier in June, the Court of Arbitration constituted in accordance with the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960, ruled that India's decision of holding the treaty in abeyance did not deprive it of its competence to adjudicate Pakistan's complaints against its neighbour. The court issued the 'Supplemental Award' on the proceedings instituted by Pakistan against India. 'Consistent with this interpretation of the Treaty, the Court has previously found that once a proceeding before a court of arbitration is properly initiated, as in the present case, there must be a strong presumption against the incidental loss of jurisdiction over the matters placed before it by subsequent acts, such as the appointment of a neutral expert. Read: Arbitration court vindicates Pakistan's IWT stance Accordingly, the text of the Treaty, read in light of its object and purpose, does not to allow either party, acting unilaterally, to hold in abeyance or suspend an ongoing dispute settlement process,' the order read. India suspends Indus Waters Treaty In April, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan in the aftermath of a deadly attack in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), that killed 26 tourists. The attack led to a dramatic escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. India accused Pakistan of supporting the terrorists behind the assault, a claim Islamabad strongly denied. India launched airstrikes against what it described as terrorists training camps across the border. Pakistan said the strikes hit civilian areas, causing dozens of casualties. Pakistan conducted Operation Bunyanum Marsoos in response to Indian military's dastardly attacks that began on the night of May 6 and 7, resulting in the loss of innocent civilian lives, including women, children, and the elderly. On May 10, Pakistan deployed its Al-Fatah missile and targeted multiple Indian military installations. However, after the intervention of US President Donald Trump, a full and immediate ceasefire was reached.
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Power plant shutdown triggers blackout across central, southern Iraq
An Iraqi electrician takes a break from working on a power generator in the southern city of Diwaniyah on August 10, 2025, amidst rising temperatures, chronic water shortages and power AFP Major oil producer Iraq was hit by a power outage in its central and southern regions on Monday after a shutdown at a power plant in the western province of Anbar, electricity ministry sources said. The sudden shutdown of the Hamidiya plant led to a fault in the electricity transmission network, the sources said. Temperatures in the capital Baghdad reached a high of 47 degrees Celsius on Monday. The chair of Iraq's parliament energy committee told Reuters the outage did not affect the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. Many Iraqis for years have relied on privately operated generators for power as government-provided electricity was only available for a few hours a day. Some others have turned to solar power to help meet their electricity needs. The oil ministry could not immediately be reached for comment. The electricity ministry said it was working in 'full emergency mode' to restore power, the state news agency reported. A member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and one of the world's leading oil producers, Iraq has struggled to provide its citizens with energy since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. In the ensuing turmoil, under-investment and mismanagement have left the national grid unable to cope with demand. Hundreds of Iraqis protested in Baghdad in the summer of 2021, when power and water cuts gripped large parts of the country as temperatures exceeded 50 degrees Celsius. In March, US President Donald Trump's administration rescinded a waiver that had allowed Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, as part of Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign against Tehran. Iraq is heavily dependent on Iranian natural gas imports to generate power.
Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Pakistani diplomats ordered to vacate homes in Delhi
Listen to article India has reportedly ordered Pakistani diplomats in New Delhi to vacate their residences before the expiry of their contracts, amid continuing harassment and surveillance, according to sources cited by Express News. The sources said Pakistani diplomats are under constant watch, and their home internet services are being frequently suspended. The orders to vacate came before the official end of the diplomats' housing contracts, with four to five Pakistani officials already instructed to leave their residences. The strain in India–Pakistan diplomatic relations began after the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which led to a military confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Also Read: Pakistan rubbishes India's claim of 'nuclear blackmail' Earlier in May, the Indian government declared two Pakistani officials posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi persona non grata, accusing them of 'activities not in keeping with their official status.' In a tit-for-tat move, soon after India's decision, Pakistan declared a staff member of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad persona non grata and directed the diplomat to leave the country within 24 hours. After the Pahalgam attack, India immediately blamed Pakistan for the incident. However, Pakistan categorically rejected the accusation. In response, India undertook a series of hostile actions, including suspending the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), cancelling visas for Pakistani citizens, closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing, ordering the shutdown of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, and reducing diplomatic staff at each other's embassies. Tensions further escalated, when missile strikes hit six cities in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, destroying a mosque and killing dozens of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly. In a swift military response, Pakistan's armed forces shot down Indian warplanes, including three Rafale jets. The confrontation intensified again in the early hours of May 10, when India targeted several Pakistani airbases with missile strikes. In retaliation, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, damaging Indian military installations, including missile storage sites, airbases, and other strategic targets. On May 10, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached following intense diplomatic efforts overnight. Minutes later, the agreement was confirmed separately by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Indian foreign secretary.
