ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday declared that India had effectively conceded defeat by raising the white flag at the Line of Control (LoC), following a strong military response from Pakistan.
Speaking at the Pak-China Friendship Centre in Islamabad, Tarar commended the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) for its rapid and forceful retaliation against India’s unprovoked missile attacks on civilian areas in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He confirmed that PAF had downed five Indian fighter jets and a drone during the exchange.
The minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was closely overseeing the evolving situation, and the entire nation stood firmly behind the armed forces. He condemned India’s targeting of civilians, calling it deeply unfortunate, and emphasized that Pakistan had only engaged military assets involved in the aggression.
Tarar noted that Indian media itself had acknowledged the loss of aircraft, and said the Pakistani people had remained united in their prayers for the success of their armed forces. He highlighted Pakistan’s long-standing struggle against terrorism, citing over 90,000 lives lost in the war on terror, and accused India of spreading disinformation to tarnish Pakistan’s global image.
He also referenced Pakistan’s offer for an impartial investigation into the Pahalgam incident, which India rejected — a move Tarar claimed exposed India’s intent to hide the truth and fuel propaganda.
Meanwhile, DG ISPR Lt. General Ahmed Sharif confirmed that eight civilians were martyred and 35 others injured in Indian airstrikes carried out across six locations. Among the victims were a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy killed in a strike on Masjid-e-Abbas in Kotli. Two civilians remain missing, while several others, including a woman and her daughter, were injured.
