Big confession of Pakistan after 7 years! Did Abhinandan really shoot down the enemy’s F-16 fighter jet?

By Samira Vishwas On Feb 24, 2026

New Delhi: That day of 27 February 2019 was a proud moment for the Indian Air Force, when Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman showed bravery, but Pakistan still tries to hide the truth of that day. Now a retired Pakistani officer has raised many questions by giving his own statement.

Tension after Operation Balakot

On 14 February 2019, 40 CRPF soldiers were martyred in the Jaish-e-Mohammed attack in Pulwama. India responded to this in Operation Balakot on 26 February. Indian Air Force’s Mirage-2000 aircraft crossed the LoC and launched a precise attack on a major terrorist camp of Jaish.

The next day Pakistan tried to take revenge in the name of ‘Operation Swift Retort’. There was a fierce dogfight between the fighter planes of the two countries. Abhinandan was riding on MiG-21 Bison and was challenging the Pakistani F-16.

Pakistani officer’s statement

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Umair Bangash of Pakistan Army, who was the commanding officer of Al Shamsham battalion at that time, gave complete details of that day in an interview. He told that at around 10 in the morning there were loud sounds in the sky. Then the debris of a MiG-21 fell and after that three parachutes opened.

He said, "One umbrella went far ahead, two were left behind." Umair Bangash saw three umbrellas with his own eyes. One was Abhinandan in a parachute, which landed in Pakistani territory and was captured, but whose were the other two umbrellas?

A #PakistanArmy SSG battalion commander, posted along the Line of Control on 27 Feb 2019, recently stated in a podcast that he saw three parachutes in #Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. This account aligns and confirms reports that a Pakistani #F16 was shot down by an Indian… pic.twitter.com/C99HGRuYhC
— IDU (@defencealerts) February 22, 2026

F-16’s secret revealed

MiG-21 is a single-seater aircraft, that is, it has only one pilot. India claims that Abhinandan shot down the F-16, after which its two pilots had to eject. Pakistan has always denied that none of its F-16s was downed, but this statement of Umair Bangash raises questions on Pakistan’s claim.

If only Abhinandan’s plane fell, then where did the two more parachutes come from? Were these F-16 pilots? Expressing concern, Umair Bangash asked what has happened after Balakot. They sent QRF (Quick Response Force) and Abhinandan was caught.

Pakistan’s lies exposed

Pakistan returned Abhinandan with honors after two days, but efforts to hide the loss of F-16 continue. The revelation of an officer like Umair Bangash shows that no matter how much the truth is hidden, it always comes out.