Did Pakistan Shoot down its Own JF-17 over Multan this morning?

Has something significant happened over the Multan airport in Pakistan?

Business today reported sometime back that the entire airport and all the roads leading to it are in a lockdown.

@PDCMDOfficial confirmed explosions, firing and shut down of Multan airport. Some suggest Pakistan shot down its own fighter. Whats the Truth? Click To Tweet

The roads leading to the Multan Airport were put on lockdown and flights were suspended after reports of firing and explosions, news agency ANI reported. The report further said that a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was also issued on Monday morning for Multan International Airport.

“This Multan bound flight is not going towards Multan. Different social media accounts are claiming that sounds of heavy firing in Multan Airport Area can be heard. No confirmations,” Pakistani journalist Ahmad Noorani tweeted on Monday.

BT reported that one Pakistani journalist has said that there was a minor fire in an aircraft which was taken care of.

Meanwhile Dawn is calling it closure due to “operational reasons”.

Flight operations at the airport were suspended around 2:25am, a statement issued by the airport’s spokesperson said, explaining that the runway had to be shut down due to “operational reasons”.

And the official Pakistan Defence command handle on twitter is confirming that flight operations to Multan are suspended.  And they had in a tweet earlier suggested that there were explosions and firing in Multan!

On the other hand, twitter handle @TheIntelMonk has tweeted a video of a fire brigade near an aircraft while saying that:

Pakistan Air Force’s chinese Air Defence System shot down it’s own JF-17 Thunder jet by mistake in Multan.

PAF pilot WC Mahmood, (Gilgit) killed.

Well, we know that just today, Pakistani paper The News reported that Pakistan had deployed the air defence system from China on its LOC.

Pakistan has deployed the Chinese-made medium-range air defence missiles in several cities and military bases to prevent possible new strikes by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Here are some more tweets from the twitterati.

As Major Gaurav Arya asked the question for the DG ISPR on it –

Meanwhile DG ISPR has his own spin – which also adds more fuel to the whole fire.

So the question is – has Pakistan again hit a self goal (like killing its own F-16 pilot) by hitting its own place?  The Chinese air defence system hit the China made fighter plane?!  That is one heck of an offensive and defensive mechanism for self destruction!

Or it is the nerves of Pakistan defence personnel cracking up?