Which raises another question.
Why does Pakistan give such less publicity to the Soviet Union (VVS ) and Afghan Air Force (AfAF), planes shot down from 1980-1988?
During the early stages (1980-1981) of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan the VVS and AfAF penetrated Pakistan airspace and bombed Mujahideen camps . The PAF put up a heroic fight using F-6 and Mirage IIIs to take on the Su 25s, Su 22s and Mig 23s supporting Mil-24 helicopter gunships.
PAF combat air patrols deterred the attacks but it was extremely difficult to completely prevent them. Squadron Leader Rao Qamar Sulaiman and his wingman flying F-6s in an extreme act of valor took on a pair of intruding Mig 21s and chased them back into Afghanistan.
The situation changed later when the Pakistan Air Force received F-16s. Between May 1986 and January 1989,
Pakistan Air Force F-16s shot down at least 10 intruders from Afghanistan. Here is the score for enemy planes shot down over Pakistan:
-Four Su-22s bombers ( AfAF)
- Two An-26s transports (AfAF)
- One An-24 transport (AfAF)
- One Su-25 Frogfoot ( VVS)
The fight was carried into Afghanistan and it is estimated that the PAF shot down at least 20 more aircraft in dog fights taking on Mig 21s and Mig 23s.
India's failed attack in Balakot last year and Pakistan's response gets wide publicity. The VVS and AfAF had conducted much more successful attacks on Pakistani territory ( though never attacking Pakistani military assets) . Pakistan's response to a much larger and better equipped enemy was far more heroic. Pakistan even captured the VVS Afghan theatre fighter commander Alexander Rutskoi who later became a prominent Russian opposition politician.He was a POW in Pakistan for a long time. Yet there are no videos of Rutskoi drinking tea !