BJP's attempt to win polls through war hysteria backfired: Pakistan PM Imran Khan on US report over F-16s

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday lashed out at BJP government referring to a US report which disclosed that none of Pakistan’s F-16s “missing” vindicated the country’s stand that it did not use the jets in the aerial combat with Indian Air Force on February 27.

Taking to Twitter, Imran Khan said, “BJP's attempt to win elections through whipping up war hysteria and false claims of downing a Pak F 16 has backfired with US Defence officials also confirming that no F16 was missing from Pakistan's fleet.”

The US finding on Pakistan’s ground ‘directly contradicts’ India’s claim of it using F-16s jet of which one of shot down by the IAF during an aerial dogfight. Indian Air Force on February 28 displayed pieces of the AMRAAM missile, fired by a Pakistani F-16 in a joint press conference as evidence to "conclusively" prove that Pakistan used US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets during an aerial raid targeting Indian military.

According to the Foreign Policy magazine, Pakistan invited the United States to physically count its F-16 planes on its ground after the aerial fight as part of an end-user agreement signed when the foreign military sale was finalised.

"A US count of Pakistan's F-16 fleet has found that all the jets are present and accounted for, a direct contradiction to India's claim that it shot down one of the fighter jets during a February clash," Lara Seligman of the magazine reported on Thursday.

Also read: Nitin Gadkari on LS 2019 polls: Vote another party if we have not performed well in five years