Pakistan has claimed that Chinese-made weapons performed “exceptionally well” during its four-day conflict with India earlier this year, according to the country’s military spokesperson. The assertion, made by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in an interview with Bloomberg, contrasts sharply with on-ground evidence indicating that Indian weapon systems outperformed their Chinese counterparts.
“We are open to all sorts of technology,” Chaudhry told Bloomberg during the interview in Islamabad. “Of course lately, recent Chinese platforms have demonstrated exceptionally well,” he added, referring to the clashes that took place in May.
During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan deployed several advanced Chinese platforms including the PL-15 missile, HQ-9P surface-to-air missile systems, and JF-17 and J-10 fighter jets in what marked the first large-scale use of such equipment against India. However, multiple reports revealed that India’s indigenous defence systems such as the BrahMos supersonic missile and the Akashteer air defence system proved far more effective, neutralizing many of these weapons.
Despite sustaining heavy damage to its defence infrastructure and reportedly requesting a ceasefire, Pakistan claimed victory after the operation. General Chaudhry also asserted that his forces had shot down seven Indian fighter jets without losing any aircraft of their own.
His comments were countered by Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, who stated last week that India had destroyed eight to ten Pakistani aircraft including U.S.-made F-16s and Chinese JF-17 jets during the May hostilities. He dismissed Pakistan’s claims of Indian losses as “manohar kahaniyan” (fanciful stories).
Chaudhry, who currently serves as the public face of Pakistan’s military, is the son of Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, a declared terrorist and former aide of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Analysts see his recent remarks as part of Islamabad’s broader attempt to reshape the narrative despite mounting evidence of China’s military shortcomings.
While Pakistan continues to project strength through Chinese-made systems, the results of Operation Sindoor clearly demonstrated the superiority of India’s indigenous weaponry leaving Beijing’s much-touted platforms in the dust.
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