They're very cautious now.
They have a long data base of excuses and denials to choose from when such events happen, here is a selection;
-Chinese finishing is not great, rivets will come loose when the J-35 makes turns. This can impact combat performance.
-Chinese engines still have issues so the PAF would only be able to do limited sorties. Chinese engines have around 60 hours flight time before they need an overhaul. Expert professor Shamrit Dudhwallah Gujarati has stated this in his doctorate from Indian Institute of Science.
-RAM coating by China is not great and they cut costs , in-line with Chinese build ethic. The jet itself will have fourth generation visibility and Indian radars can pick this up from 400 miles away.
-It's not a true stealth jet and a glorified flanker copy.
-Chinese air to air missiles have poor Active Radar Homing so the PL-15 will miss its target.
-Chinese avionic suites are three decades behind everyone else so PAF pilots will not see incoming threats till too late.
Finally;
The Rafale is created by the white man, as is the SU-57, this makes them superior to Asian yellow man.