Khawaja Asif, Defence Minister of Pakistan, failed to provide any conclusive evidence of his country’s claims of shooting down five Indian fighter jets during an interview with CNN. Instead, when asked about Pakistan’s claim of downing five Indian jets during Operation Sindoor, Asif attributed it to social media. His bizarre response failed to pass muster with the CNN host and subsequently made him the subject of brutal trolling on social media.
How the interview unfolded
Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif recently appeared on CNN, where he was asked to provide evidence about the country’s claims of shooting down five Indian Air Force fighter jets.
“Pakistan claims it shot down five Indian Air Force jets. India says there is no evidence of that, no proof. Can you provide more detail? Let’s start with this very specific claim of five fighter jets shot down. Where’s the evidence for that, sir?” the CNN interviewer Becky Anderson asked Asif.
In response, the Pakistani defence minister cited social media posts as proof.
“It’s all over social media. On Indian social media, not on our social media,” he replied. “The debris of these jets fell… and it’s all over Indian media.”
The CNN host cut him off at this point to say that he had not been asked to the show to talk about social media content. “You’re the defence minister, sir. The reason to talk to you today, sir, is not to talk about content all over social media. I’m sorry,” she interrupted.
{{/usCountry}}The CNN host cut him off at this point to say that he had not been asked to the show to talk about social media content. “You’re the defence minister, sir. The reason to talk to you today, sir, is not to talk about content all over social media. I’m sorry,” she interrupted.
{{/usCountry}}Footage of the exchange has garnered nearly half a million views on X, where thousands of people mocked the Pakistani minister for citing social media as proof.
“Pakistani minister using social media as a reference for details asked about IAF jets, such a buffoon. Of course it's propaganda to save their face,” wrote one X user.
“A day without international embarrassment is a day wasted for Pakistan,” another joked.
“How can a minister say he saw it online?” one person wondered, while another quipped: “He basically said, trust me bro.”
“This is the defence minister’s statement? Pakistan is not a serious country,” read one comment.
(Also read: Operation Sindoor: Satellite images show damage at terror site in Pakistan's Bahawalpur)