Senator Irfan rubbishes India’s ‘farcical’ aircraft downing claim

ISLAMABAD: PML-N parliamentary leader and Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Senator Irfan Siddiqui has dismissed India’s claim, which surfaced more than three months after Marka-e-Haq (Battle of Truth), of shooting down Pakistani aircraft as baseless and farcical.

The Senator said such falsehoods would only further embarrass New Delhi internationally. “Falsehood never stands alone; it breeds more lies and this claim by the Modi government is part of that chain,” he remarked while speaking on private television channels.

Commenting on recent political developments, Senator Irfan Siddiqui said

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with Khawaja Asif, or any party leader, was a routine political engagement and should not be exaggerated or linked to the arrest of any government official.

On Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) call for protests on August 14, Senator Irfan Siddiqui said the PTI has lost public support and “no one is now willing to take to the streets for them”.

He described the plan to give Independence Day events a protest tone as “a continuation of the mindset behind the May 9 incidents,” stressing that the government felt no threat from the PTI as the public had already rejected all its protest calls, including that of August 5.

The Senator reiterated that the government was not opposed to dialogue with the PTI, “but talks are only possible if the party changes its mindset and approach”.

He clarified that no serious consultations were underway on the 27th Constitutional Amendment, adding that if any change to the Constitution was needed, it would be pursued through consensus.

Commenting on the broader political landscape, Senator Irfan Siddiqui said a genuine opposition never runs out of ideas. “With strong ideology and public backing, it can effectively challenge the government—even with limited numbers.”

He stressed that all state institutions, including the judiciary and parliament, are functioning normally, and it is misleading to portray the personal anguish of a few individuals as a national crisis.