One X post summed it up: “It’s like buying a mansion when you’re scraping by on rent.” Then there’s the timing. That deleted X post suggests Pakistan’s government got ahead of itself, hyping a deal that wasn’t even close to done. Experts say its hourly flight costs could cripple Pakistan’s Air Force, which is already leaning on IMF loans. Even if pilots were training in China, Pakistan wouldn’t be flying these jets until 2028 or later.Politics played a role too. That deleted X post and Asif’s quick shutdown feel like someone in Islamabad realized they’d stirred up a hornet’s nest.