Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday, claimed that Pakistani fighter jets had "turned 7 Indian jets into scrap" during a military conflict earlier this year. Sharif praised the Pakistan Air Force, referring to its pilots as "falcons" who "took flight and etched their answer across the skies".
Sharif stated that in May 2025, Pakistan confronted "unprovoked aggression" from India. He claimed Pakistan responded in self-defense, sending the "enemy" back in humiliation. He accused India of seeking political gains from the "human tragedy" of the Pahalgam terrorist attack by rejecting Pakistan's offer of an international probe and instead attacking Pakistani cities and civilians.
India has repeatedly dismissed Pakistan's claims of downing Indian jets as baseless, with no evidence provided to support the assertions. Reports indicate that India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people. India's retaliatory operation involved air and missile strikes targeting locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, focusing on terror infrastructure while avoiding civilian and military targets. India agreed to a cessation of hostilities after Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) contacted his Indian counterpart.
Sharif also addressed the Kashmir dispute, assuring the Kashmiri people of Pakistan's support. He stated that India's "tyranny" in Kashmir would end and Kashmir would gain its right to self-determination through a UN plebiscite. He further advocated for the liberation of Palestine.
India has in the past accused Pakistan of harboring terrorists. In 2024, India's representative at the UNGA called Pakistan a country "run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade and transnational crime". They asserted that Pakistan "has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours" and that "cross-border terror would 'inevitably invite consequences'".
Sharif also lauded the role of former US President Donald Trump in the India-Pakistan ceasefire. He said Trump's efforts helped avert a war in South Asia and that Pakistan had nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have remained high. These tensions have also impacted sports, with Pakistan withdrawing from the World Para Athletics Championships in India due to "escalating political tensions".
The relationship between the two countries is complex and rooted in historical and political events, including the partition of British India in 1947. Since then, India and Pakistan have fought several wars and engaged in numerous armed skirmishes.
