ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has warned that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) remains ready to thwart any challenges and defend the country’s airspace against any aggression, a statement from his office said amid Islamabad’s persisting tensions with India.

The statement comes as Islamabad marks the Pakistan Air Force Day on Sept. 7 to celebrate the air force’s contributions, particularly during the 1965 war with India.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have remained high since the two countries engaged in the worst fighting between them in decades in May 2025. Pakistan said during the intense, four-day standoff, it shot down six Indian fighter jets, including French-made Rafales, right at the outset of the war.

“On this special day, I extend my best wishes to the Pakistan Air Force for continued professional success and progress,” Sharif’s office quoted him as saying.

“I am confident that, as always, the Pakistan Air Force will remain fully prepared to face every possible challenge and defend the country’s sovereignty and airspace.”

Referring to the May 2025 confrontation with India, Sharif said Pakistan takes pride that its air force upheld its tradition of confronting the enemy despite being outnumbered.

He noted that the PAF had been able to defeat the enemy through its courageous leadership, exceptional combat skills, excellent planning and effective employment of multidimensional combat capabilities.

The prime minister said that these skills were acquired by Pakistan’s air force in recent years through modernization and self-reliance under a comprehensive strategy.

India has refused to acknowledge the PAF’s claims that it shot down six aircraft. However, New Delhi has previously acknowledged some losses, with its Chief of Defense Staff Anil Chauhan saying in an interview with Bloomberg last year that his forces had made a “tactical mistake” during the May conflict. However, he denied that six aircraft were shot down.

Tensions between the two states persist as India has said it will continue to hold in abeyance a decades-long water-sharing treaty with Pakistan that governs the use of the Indus river system.

Pakistan has warned India that any attempt to block or divert the flow of its waters will be considered an “act of war” that can push the region toward another military escalation.