Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stirred fresh controversy on Friday. He claimed that the Pakistani Army intentionally avoided intercepting Indian drones to prevent exposing their defence positions. His remark came after India carried out successful strikes on terror camps across the border.
While speaking in Pakistan’s Parliament, Asif said, “I can’t go into the details. But we didn’t intercept Indian drones during yesterday’s attack as we didn’t want to give away our defence positions.”
⚡ "We didn't intercept Indian Drones because we didn't want to leak our locations": Pakistan Defence Minister
Ohh My God ??????#khwajaasif #IndiaPakistanWar pic.twitter.com/vYDrDIKYl8
— Rishabhh Jain (@Rishabhh856) May 9, 2025
India Responds Strongly to Drone Attacks
India had launched precision strikes on May 8, targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These airstrikes were in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. The Indian response neutralised a 35-minute-long attack initiated by Pakistan.
Earlier Threats from Asif
Earlier that day, Asif made a strong statement warning India. He said Pakistan would not rely only on diplomacy. Instead, he threatened military retaliation. “If India does not talk at the diplomatic and political table and [through diplomatic] channels, we will talk and respond with guns. Pakistan does not have time to wait and show patience. We have to stop India here,” he said.
Asif Faces Criticism for Past Remarks
This is not the first time Asif has faced backlash for his statements. Recently, international media criticised him for citing “social media content” to claim that Pakistan had shot down Indian fighter jets during Operation Sindoor. His claim was widely mocked and dismissed.
India’s Precision Strikes
India carried out the retaliatory operation early on Wednesday. Using airstrikes, Indian forces destroyed nine terror launchpads in Pakistan and PoK. The move was seen as a direct response to cross-border terrorism linked to the Pahalgam attack.
