SOURCE: AFI
On May 7, 2025, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif (@KhawajaMAsif ) retracted an earlier statement claiming that Pakistani forces had captured Indian soldiers as prisoners of war (PoWs) during the ongoing military escalation with India. Speaking live on ARY News, Asif also claimed that while Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) were abandoned, no Indian soldiers were taken as prisoners, directly contradicting earlier reports attributed to him. This development comes amidst heightened tensions following India’s Operation Sindoor airstrikes on May 6, which targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The current flare-up stems from India’s Operation Sindoor, launched on May 6, 2025, in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, mostly Hindu tourists, in Indian-administered Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for supporting the attack and conducted precision airstrikes on nine sites, including Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bhimber, Sialkot, and Bahawalpur, using Rafale jets likely armed with SCALP cruise missiles and Hammer standoff weapons. Pakistan reported eight civilian deaths and 35 injuries, calling the strikes a “blatant act of war” and vowing retaliation. Heavy artillery fire has since been reported along the LoC, with both sides accusing each other of aggression.
In the immediate aftermath of India’s strikes, reports surfaced—amplified by international media outlets like Reuters and AFP—quoting Asif as saying that Pakistani forces had captured Indian soldiers during their response along the LoC. This claim fueled speculation of a significant escalation, reminiscent of the 2019 crisis when Pakistan captured an Indian pilot after an aerial dogfight. However, in his ARY News interview, Asif rolled back this assertion, stating that the reports were “fake news” attached to his name. He emphasized that while Indian soldiers had abandoned their posts in several areas, none were captured or taken as PoWs by Pakistani forces.
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