New York [US], September 26 : Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday claimed that India sought "political gains" post Pahalgam attack, keeping mum on Islamabad's own funding and promotion of counter-border terrorism.
During his address at the UN General Debate, the Pakistan PM alleged that India attacked Pakistan's "innocent civilians", prompting their armed forces to respond in self-defence.
"In May this year, my country confronted unprovoked aggression from our eastern front. The enemy came shrouded in arrogance, and we sent them back in humiliation. India sought to extract political gains from a human tragedy by spurning my sincere offer of an independent investigation into the Pahalgam incident. Instead, it attacked our cities and targeted our innocent civilians. When our territorial integrity and national security were violated, our response was in accordance with the right of self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations charter," Shehbaz Sharif said.
Sharif once again made false claims about India, asserting that Pakistan shot down Indian fighter jets, a statement he's made previously. Sharif claimed Pakistan's forces responded with "stunning professionalism," repelling the aggression and shooting down seven Indian jets, sending them "to scrap and dust."
"Our valiant armed forces mounted an operation of stunning professionalism, repulsing the enemy's attack. Our falcons took flight and etched thier answer across the skies, resulting in seven of the Indian jets turning to scrap and dust," he added.
The Pakistan PM again failed to mention that India specifically targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan and the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir region during Operation Sindoor.
Shehbaz Sharif's remark again lacked any proof but had empty statements, claiming Pakistan's victory. Pakistan has made claims about shooting down Indian Air Force jets, specifically asserting that they downed five to six Indian aircraft during recent conflicts, including Operation Sindoor. However, India has consistently disputed these claims, labelling them as baseless and lacking concrete evidence.
India denied Pakistan's assertions, with officials like Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh confirming India shot down Pakistani jets instead. Pakistan hasn't provided substantial proof, leading India to question the validity of the claims.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
Unlike Shehbaz Sharif's hypothetical claims, India backed up the details of the strikes with press conferences held by top military officials, who provided evidence, including satellite images.
During the first press briefing on May 7, India clarified its response as focused, measured and non-escalatory. It was specifically mentioned that Pakistani military establishments had not been targeted. It was also reiterated that any attack on military targets in India will invite a suitable response. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, across multiple press briefings on May 8, 9, and 10, laid bare India's plan of action and the full extent of Pakistan's designs.
India successfully destroyed nine major terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), targeting Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen facilities. Over 100 terrorists were killed in action.