ISLAMABAD: Tariq Ghazi, Deputy Chief of Air Staff Projects, on Wednesday said the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) achieved an “8-0” outcome against the Indian Air Force during Marka-e-Haq, claiming that at least eight Indian aircraft were shot down during clashes in May last year.
He made the remarks during a press conference held alongside Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry and Shifaat Ali Khan on the first anniversary of the conflict.
The confrontation began after India launched strikes on Pakistan on May 6-7 last year following the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan — an allegation Islamabad rejected.
The conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours lasted 87 hours before ending on May 10 through a ceasefire brokered by the United States.
During the briefing, Air Vice Marshal Tariq Ghazi said the purpose of revisiting the operation was to “refresh memories” while criticising India for changing its narrative regarding the outcome of the confrontation.
He said Zaheer Ahmad Sidhu personally led the formulation and execution of the PAF’s operational response.
According to Ghazi, the PAF immediately adopted a high-alert defensive posture with continuous surveillance, combat air patrols and monitoring of enemy communications.
“We adopted a strong air defence posture to thwart any hostile adventure through combat air patrols, scrambles, and eyes on the sky all the time,” he said.
He added that the PAF operationalised multi-domain warfare capabilities during the conflict, describing it as the force’s first such integrated combat implementation.
Ghazi said the PAF closely monitored aggressive deployments by the Indian Air Force, including positioning of offensive systems and concealed strategic assets.
Providing details of the claimed “8-0” result, he said Pakistan shot down four Dassault Rafale jets, one Sukhoi Su-30, one Mikoyan MiG-29, one Dassault Mirage 2000 aircraft and one advanced multi-role unmanned aerial system.
He further claimed that several other Indian aircraft sustained damage severe enough to render them beyond repair.
