Pakistanis running to safety with the help of Pak army soldiers post airstrikes by IAF jets

In the immediate aftermath of India's Operation Sindoor-targeted strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam attack-a significant wave of misinformation emerged from Pakistani media and government-affiliated sources.

Nature And Spread of Misinformation

Within hours of the operation, numerous Pakistani government-linked media channels and social media accounts began circulating unverified and false claims. These included assertions that Pakistan had launched missile strikes at 15 locations inside India, that the Srinagar Airbase had been hit by the Pakistan Air Force, and that an Indian Army Brigade Headquarters had been destroyed.

These claims quickly gained traction on X (formerly Twitter), especially from high-follower accounts associated with the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan’s military media wing. However, no credible visual or satellite evidence was provided to substantiate these assertions, and many of the images and videos used were later identified as unrelated, archival, or digitally altered content.

Fact-checkers and independent analysts promptly flagged these posts as misinformation. Indian authorities, including the Jammu and Kashmir Police, categorically denied any attack on the Srinagar airbase or other military installations, labelling the Pakistani claims as baseless and a deliberate attempt to distract from the success and precision of Operation Sindoor.

Operation Sindoor: Objectives And Execution

Operation Sindoor was launched early on May 7, 2025, following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, including 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen. The Indian Ministry of Defence described the operation as "focused, measured and non-escalatory," emphasising that no Pakistani civilian or military targets were attacked; only terror infrastructure operated by groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was targeted. The strikes were carried out by the Indian armed forces at nine locations, including Bahawalpur and Mudrike in Pakistan, and Kotli and Muzaffarabad in PoK.

Official And International Response

Immediately following the strikes, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval briefed his US counterpart and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, presenting evidence linking Pakistan-based terrorist groups to the Pahalgam attack. Similar briefings were provided to key allies such as Russia, the UK, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan, meanwhile, vowed to retaliate at a "time and place of its choosing," but as of now, no credible evidence of any such retaliation exists.

Pattern of Disinformation

This episode is consistent with previous instances where, after Indian counter-terror operations, Pakistani media and officials have disseminated false narratives to downplay the impact of Indian strikes and deflect attention from their inability to respond effectively. Analysts suggest that such tactics are part of a broader propaganda strategy aimed at misleading both domestic and international audiences.

Conclusion

The aftermath of Operation Sindoor has been marked by a concerted misinformation campaign from Pakistani sources, attempting to distort facts and claim unsubstantiated retaliatory actions. Indian authorities and independent analysts have debunked these claims, urging the public and international community to rely on verified information and recognise the operation as a focused counter-terrorism measure, not an act of escalation.

NDTV Report