by Monica Aggarwal

While Pakistan has been brazenly denying using the F-16 fighter aircraft by its Air Force in an attempt to attack India's military bases in J&K's Nowshera on February 27, which was successfully retaliated by Indian Air Force, Republic TV on Thursday accessed exclusive details of the IAF debriefing of Wing Commander Abhinandan which confirms that Pak officers asked questions about the F-16 plane to the IAF pilot.

Wing Commander Abhinandan returned from Pakistan to India on March 1, two days after accomplishing an extraordinary feat in the skies above Lam Valley in J&K's Nowshera.

Inside sources have revealed that during the debriefing by IAF team, Wing Commander Abhinandan stated that a senior Pak AF officer took details of his manoeuvres that led to the downing of the F-16 fighter plane - which seemingly confirms that Pakistan has been lying that its Air Force did not use the F-16 during the attack on India. 

Wing Commander Abhinandan was reportedly asked how he managed to bring down the F-16 fighter plane by the Pakistan Air Force officer while he was in their custody for two days, even as till date the Pak authorities have been in denial over its use. 

February 28, Pakistan's Director General ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor had also denied use of F-16 by its forces. However, Republic TV had accessed images of the part of the AMRAAM missile, shot down by Indian forces, which is fitted on the F-16.

Furthermore, the central government on March 2, shared to the United States, the evidence of the F-16 fighter jet brought down by IAF pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, in the aerial fight. 

Later, the US had also sought information on the potential misuse of American-made F-16 fighter jets by Pakistan against India in violation of the end-user agreement. 

The Indian Air Force on February 28 displayed parts of an AMRAAM beyond visual range air-to-air missile as evidence to "conclusively" prove that Pakistan deployed US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets during an aerial raid targeting Indian military installations in Kashmir after India's anti-terror operation in Balakot.