Pakistan has publicly credited Chinese-made J-10C multirole fighter jets with helping thwart a recent wave of Indian airstrikes, marking a significant shift in South Asia’s volatile security dynamics. The announcement, made by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in an emergency session of Pakistan’s parliament, comes as tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals reach their highest point in years.
Dar stated that Pakistan’s swift air defense response—anchored by the Chinese-supplied J-10C fleet—successfully intercepted and downed five Indian aircraft that had crossed into Pakistani airspace. Among them, he claimed, were Rafale jets, part of India’s high-profile acquisition from France.
“There were instructions to only target Indian jets that released payloads,” Dar told lawmakers. “This is why only five jets were taken down. Had the directive been different, nearly 10 to 12 jets would have been struck.”
India has dismissed the Pakistani account, calling it “disinformation.” The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has not confirmed any aircraft losses, though officials have acknowledged operational mishaps following what they describe as a “targeted counter-terrorism operation.”
According to Pakistan’s timeline, the military received intelligence around 10 p.m. on Tuesday indicating an imminent Indian airstrike. Pakistan activated defensive protocols overnight, and Foreign Minister Dar said that by 4 a.m. Wednesday, the Chinese ambassador had been called to the Foreign Office for high-level briefings.
India’s strikes came under the umbrella of “Operation Sindoor,” reportedly a response to the April 22 attack in Pulwama, Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 Indian tourists. India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the attack and vowed retribution.
New Delhi has not provided precise information about the assets deployed in the strikes but emphasized that all targets were “military-affiliated infrastructure linked to designated terrorist groups,” including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Pakistan, however, accused India of striking civilian areas, including a mosque in Bahawalpur, and claims at least 31 people were killed, many of them non-combatants. Pakistan retaliated by shelling border areas in Jammu and Kashmir and launching air operations of its own.
Pakistan’s military leaders have long touted the J-10C as a game-changer in their air capabilities. Introduced into the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in 2022, the aircraft is a 4.5-generation multirole fighter, equipped with active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, beyond-visual-range missiles, and a powerful thrust-to-weight ratio.
Until this week, the jet had never seen active combat. That changed during the recent skirmish.
Dar confirmed that the PAF scrambled its J-10C fleet as part of the immediate response to the incursion. “They were quick, accurate, and decisive,” he said. “Every engagement was monitored in real time, and we had Chinese defense advisors present for briefings as the situation developed.”
The J-10C’s battlefield performance is expected to have wider implications for China’s military-industrial complex. With few of its domestically developed jets tested in real combat, a successful engagement against Indian Rafales provides Beijing a strong case for export credibility. Following Pakistan’s announcement, Chinese defense stocks rose sharply in trading, reflecting investor confidence in the aircraft’s commercial prospects.
“Most modern Chinese platforms haven’t been battle-tested,” said Eric Zhu, a defense analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. “This will be seen as a landmark moment for China’s defense exports.”
India has strongly rejected the narrative coming from Islamabad. Officials from India’s Ministry of Defence called Pakistan’s claims “propaganda meant to deflect attention from their own culpability in harboring terror outfits.”
According to Indian media, although India acknowledged losing contact with two aircraft, both were reportedly returning from the strike mission and may have experienced technical issues unrelated to combat.
India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) also dismissed viral videos and images—some shared by Pakistani officials—purporting to show downed Rafales as “edited or repurposed content from past conflicts.” PIB Fact Check labeled it part of a coordinated “disinformation campaign.”
Meanwhile, India’s Air Force has ramped up activity along the Line of Control (LoC), with satellite images showing increased movement at key airbases in Rajasthan and Jammu.
The current crisis is reminiscent of the 2019 Balakot airstrikes, in which India claimed to have targeted a terrorist training camp in Pakistan after a suicide bombing killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. That episode culminated in a dogfight where both countries claimed victories, and an Indian pilot was captured before being released days later.
This time, the stakes appear even higher.
Unlike in 2019, both nations now possess advanced fighter platforms—India with its Rafales and Pakistan with the Chinese J-10C. Analysts warn that a single miscalculation could spiral into a full-scale conflict, especially given the highly politicized environment in both countries.
The confrontation has triggered alarm across major world capitals. The United States, United Nations, Russia, and China have all urged restraint.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres released a statement urging “both parties to immediately de-escalate and engage in constructive dialogue.” The U.S. State Department echoed the sentiment, calling the situation “extremely dangerous.”
Flights across North India and Pakistan were canceled or rerouted in the aftermath, with several airlines suspending service to the region. Schools were shut down in parts of Punjab and Kashmir, and both nations have reportedly moved additional military assets closer to the border.
China has found itself in a delicate position—simultaneously backing its key defense partner, Pakistan, while trying to avoid overt entanglement in the conflict. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Beijing “supports Pakistan’s right to self-defense” but also encouraged “dialogue and peaceful resolution.”
Beyond the immediate military risks, the confrontation threatens to upend years of economic progress and regional diplomacy. Trade between India and Pakistan, already minimal, has now completely frozen. Stock markets in both countries dipped sharply before stabilizing, while global investors expressed concern about regional stability.
India’s hardline government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is under domestic pressure to act decisively. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s fragile coalition government is battling economic crisis and political instability, with the military playing an increasingly central role in foreign policy decisions.
“Neither side can afford a full war—but neither side wants to appear weak either,” said Dr. Maria Khattak, a South Asia defense analyst based in London. “This creates a highly volatile and unpredictable environment.”
So far, there is no sign of direct diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Islamabad. India has stated it will continue its counter-terror operations if provoked, while Pakistan has warned of “proportionate responses” to any further incursions.
Pakistan’s emphasis on the role of Chinese-made jets may also be an attempt to signal to India—and the world—that Beijing is a quiet stakeholder in the conflict. Whether China is prepared to support Pakistan more openly in a military standoff remains to be seen.
