Director General ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor said Pakistan Air Force shot down two Indian aircraft inside Pakistani airspace.

In a tweet, He said the Indian Airforce had crossed the Line of Control. He said one of the aircraft fell inside Azad Jammu and Kashmir while other fell inside Indian occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday undertook strikes across the Line of Control from within Pakistani airspace.

DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor says Pakistan today showed that it has the capability and will to respond to any aggression but it will exercise restraint to avoid escalating the situation.

Addressing a media briefing on Wednesday, he said Pakistan armed forces and PAF had no option but to give response to Indian aggression committed by it yesterday. 

Giving details, the DG ISPR said Pakistan Air Force engaged six targets from across the Line of Control in Occupied Kashmir this morning.

He said Pak armed forces have capability, will, resolve, people backing and all resources. But being a responsible state, we decided that we will not aim any military target. We also wanted to ensure that no human loss or collateral damage is done during our engaging the targets. He said we selected six targets but we hit the areas close to them while keeping a safe distance, in order to demonstrate our capability. This action was purely in self-defense and with no aggressive designs.

Major General Asif Ghafoor said after taking the targets, two aircraft of Indian Air Force violated LoC and entered into Pakistani territory. PAF engaged them and both of these were shot down, with debris of one falling inside our territory and the other in Indian Occupied Kashmir. Two Indian pilots were taken into custody and they are being treated well. One is injured and is being provided proper medical care.

He said no F-16 of Pakistan was shot down in this action contrary to some reports by Indian media. He said no F-16 was engaged in this action.

Major General Asif Ghafoor said we wanted to show to Indians that we are capable of doing all things, but not at the peril of regional peace. We are a peaceful country and do not want to go to war. 

He said we always conveyed peace to India and route to it goes through dialogue. War is failure of policy which India needs to understand. As our Prime Minister said it is easy to start war but difficult to conclude it. We do not want to escalate and are pursuing path of peace. It is also the responsibility of the international community to come forward and play its role as the war will cause irreparable damage to both the countries as well as the region.

Major General Asif Ghafoor further said that people of both countries as well as the region need to live in peace. We need to talk in order to provide our people of health, education and other facilities. T

He said the Government of India should consider our offer of dialogue with calm in order to take the region forward.  Pakistan gives a message of peace and India should accept it for peace and stability in the region. 

DG ISPR said our action today was in self-defense and we do not want to claim any victory on it. He urged the Pakistani media to continue its objective reporting and the one that leads to peace.

Responding to a question, he said if aggression was imposed on us we will definitely give a response under compulsion.

The Foreign Office spokesperson however said this was not a retaliation to continued Indian belligerence.

The sole purpose of strikes was to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self defence.

The Foreign Office Spokesperson said Pakistan has no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm. He said we undertook the action with clear warning and in broad daylight.

The foreign office said for the last few years, India had been trying to establish what they call a 'new normal' a thinly veiled term for doing acts of aggression at whatever pretext they wish on a given day. If India is striking at so called terrorist backers without a shred of evidence, we also retain reciprocal rights to retaliate against elements that enjoy Indian patronage while carrying out acts of terror in Pakistan.

He said we do not wish to go to that route and wish that India gives peace a chance and to resolve issues like a mature democratic nation.