Pakistan says US Congress report validates its victory in May clash with India

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has claimed that a recent report submitted to the US Congress validates Pakistan’s military achievements during a brief but intense confrontation with India in May.

The report, he said, corroborates multiple acknowledgments by former US President Donald Trump regarding the downing of seven Indian aircraft during the four-day conflict.

The state-run news agency reported that the document, released on Tuesday by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission - which assesses national security implications of US-China trade and economic relations - also corroborates multiple acknowledgments by US President Donald Trump regarding the downing of seven Indian aircraft during the four-day conflict.

“Pakistan’s military success over India in the four-day clash showcased Chinese weaponry,” the report said.

It added that the conflict offered China a strategic opportunity to test and promote its advanced defense systems, noting Beijing’s effort to demonstrate the sophistication of its arsenal amid ongoing tensions with India and broader defense industry ambitions.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of a Daanish School in the Harighel area of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Sharif credited Pakistan’s armed forces for compelling the adversary to retreat, while praising the leadership of Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

Sharif also said Pakistan was progressing on the economic front, with the government fully committed to sustainable development and national growth initiatives.

The May hostilities followed a deadly attack on 22 April 2024 in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists. India accused Pakistan-based militants of orchestrating the attack, a claim repeatedly denied by Islamabad.

In response, India carried out air and missile strikes across the Line of Control, escalating the confrontation into a four-day conflict that was eventually halted after a ceasefire was brokered by US President Donald Trump.