US neutral stance 'undermines Indian claims, exposes false flag operation'

India's long-standing practice of making unverified allegations against Pakistan has come under renewed scrutiny during the reecnt escalation of tensions between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours.

The United States has adopted a neutral position on India's latest accusations, declining to endorse New Delhi’s claims due to a lack of credible intelligence evidence, according to credible sources.

The controversy centres around what analysts describe as a failed "false flag" attempt by India to implicate Pakistan without substantiated proof.

US officials, including Spokesperson for the United States Department of State Tammy Bruce, have reportedly refrained from confirming any intelligence backing India's assertions, highlighting instead the importance of responsible dialogue between both nuclear-armed neighbors.

“We are in contact with both countries and support a responsible resolution,” Bruce stated.

“We will not comment on intelligence matters or diplomatic messages,” she added, reaffirming Washington’s neutral approach.

Analysts maintain that US silence has cast doubt on India's narrative, with some experts questioning why India resists independent investigations if it possesses genuine evidence.

Bruce further emphasised, " We want the perpetrators to be held accountable and will support efforts to that end."

Defense experts in Pakistan have welcomed Washington’s apparent validation of Pakistan's call for a transparent international inquiry.

This episode adds to growing concerns about India's use of uncorroborated narratives to shift global opinion, as Pakistan continues to advocate for independent probes to ensure regional peace and stability.

Latest tensions

The latest escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan follows the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which resulted in 26 fatalities. India immediately accused Pakistan-based elements of orchestrating the attack, although no evidence was provided. Islamabad has strongly rejected these allegations.

In retaliation, India closed the Wagah land border on April 23, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, and revoked Pakistani visas. Pakistan responded by labeling any disruption to water flow as an "act of war" and closed the Wagah crossing on its side.

The situation escalated further on Wednesday, as reports from various cities in Pakistan, including Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Muridke, and Bahawalpur, detailed multiple explosions. Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, confirmed that Indian airstrikes had targeted multiple locations within Pakistan. In response, Pakistan launched swift air and ground operations.

Within the first hour of retaliation, Pakistan announced the downing of five Indian fighter jets, including four Rafale aircraft, which India had recently acquired from France to strengthen its air defenses following the failed Balakot operation in 2019.

"Pakistan could have shot down 10 Indian fighter jets," Lt Gen Chaudhry said during a press briefing. "But Pakistan chose to exercise restraint."

Despite the scale of the response, Indian media remained largely silent on the losses. The Hindu, a prominent Indian newspaper, initially reported that three Indian jets had been downed but later removed the article, likely under pressure from the Indian government to avoid further embarrassment.

An American commentator on CNN stated that the potential loss of Rafale jets would severely damage India’s claim to air superiority, which it had built around the induction of these advanced French warplanes. Some experts speculated that the confrontation served as a test of Chinese and Western military technologies, particularly after Pakistan acquired J-10C jets from China in response to India’s Rafale fleet.

A senior French intelligence official confirmed to CNN that one Rafale jet had indeed been shot down by Pakistan, marking the first time that this sophisticated French aircraft had been lost in combat.

In another development, the Pakistan armed forces confirmed the neutralization of 25 Israeli-made Harop drones used by India in recent cross-border activity.

A statement issued by Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Thursday confirmed that these drones were shot down using both electronic countermeasures (soft-kill techniques) and conventional weaponry (hard-kill systems) after they were detected flying over multiple areas across Pakistan.

The ISPR described the drone incursions as a "desperate and panicked response" by India, which came after Pakistan’s retaliatory operations on May 6 and 7, in which five Indian fighter jets were downed and several military posts were struck.

Unfazed by the Israeli-made armed drones, called "loitering munitions", sent by India over multiple cities of Pakistan, including Karachi, residents of the metropolitan city poured onto the streets in an extraordinary wave of solidarity with the armed forces.

The number of Indian drones downed by Pakistani armed forces had reached at least 77, security sources confirmed on Friday.