In 1987 during skirmishes with the Soviet Air Force during the Soviet Afghan war a PAF F-16 was accidentally shot down by the another F-16 according to Pakistani and Western sources. What actually happened we would never know but according to many sources a Mig-23 shot it down and the US helped cover it up with a fratricide story.
Here is the story from 1987 from a Western Newspaper (Washington Post):
AFGHANISTAN SAYS IT DOWNED F16 FIGHTER FROM PAKISTAN
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...5d-e3ca-467a-ac1f-1588801a016a/?noredirect=on
Here is another article from 1987 by a Western Source how the US helped Pakistan Cover up the loss:
Exclusive Friendly fire downs Pakistani F-16; U.S. in a coverup
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/0...Pakistani-F-16-US-in-a-coverup/8251553579200/
Some highlights from the articles:
"Afghanistan's communist authorities said today an advanced U.S.-made F16 flown by the Pakistani Air Force was shot down inside Afghan territory, marking a new escalation in the air battles evolving out of Afghanistan's eight-year-old guerrilla war.
Diplomats here said that this would be the first Pakistani F16 to be shot down and that its loss could have an important impact on Pakistan's military tactics along the increasingly hostile Afghan border."
"Administration sources said the F16 pilots were then ambushed by what were believed to be two high-flying, Soviet-piloted MiG23 fighters. One F16 crashed on the Afghan side of the border, but the pilot ejected and parachuted into Pakistan, officials said.
.....
but the F16 is the pride of its fleet and has assumed almost mythical proportions among Pakistanis as a symbol of the country's ability to defend itself."
"Other observers familiar with Pakistan said the loss of an F16 could have a more far-reaching impact, undercutting Pakistani confidence at a time when there is growing pressure to try to bring an end to the Afghan war and to get the estimated 3 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan to return home.
"
The F16 was believed to be invincible," said one observer."
"Pakistan's attempt to cover up the accident was assisted by some Pentagon and State Department officials who felt the false report of a Soviet 'kill' might help promote Pakistan's bid to acquire sophisticated U.S.-made AWACS radar airplanes, administration sources told United Press International.
However, Pakistan first concocted the story primarily to 'save face' and prevent any embarrassment of its Air Force, which has created an F-16 craze among the Pakistani people, they said."
"The official said Pakistan was particularly embarrassed about the accident because the F-16 has 'seized the imagination of the Pakistani people' to the extent that there are 'F-16 cafes, F-16 T-shirts and F-16 bumper stickers. You can even see F-16s on the flaps of buses in Islamabad."
Same old story from 1987 repeating in 2019, invincible PAF F-16, pride of the country, shot down and then a cover story made discrediting the loss.
