Pakistan propaganda continues, floods social media with fake
Pakistan propaganda continues, floods social media with fake videos
Several Pakistani government-linked media outlets and social media accounts have been caught disseminating misleading and fabricated content in an apparent attempt to distort the facts surrounding the operation
NEW DELHI — In the wake of India's successful counterterrorism strikes under
Operation Sindoor, several Pakistani government-linked media outlets and social
media accounts have been caught disseminating misleading and fabricated content
in an apparent attempt to distort the facts surrounding the operation.
On Wednesday, the Indian armed forces launched a series
of precision strikes against nine high-value terror targets in Pakistan and
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack
in Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians dead.
The operation marked a significant moment in India's
continuing fight against cross-border terrorism.
Following the strikes, a wave of disinformation emerged
online, with Pakistani media houses and affiliated handles pushing false
narratives and unverified claims across social platforms, particularly on X.
Independent analysts and India's official fact-checking
bodies swiftly flagged many of these assertions as baseless.
One of the most widely circulated false claims alleged
that Pakistan had bombed an Indian military base in Amritsar.
The video used to support the claim, showing massive
flames lighting up the night sky, was quickly debunked.
Fact-checkers identified the footage as coming from a
wildfire that occurred in Valparaiso, Chile, in 2024. The natural disaster had
no connection whatsoever to any military action in India or Pakistan.
The Press Information Bureau's Fact Check division
promptly addressed the misinformation, stating: "Pakistan Propaganda
Alert! Pakistan-based handles are spreading old videos falsely alleging strikes
on a military base in Amritsar. The video being shared is from a wildfire in
2024. Avoid sharing unverified information and rely only on official sources from
the Government of India for accurate information."
Despite these clarifications, numerous pro-Pakistan
accounts -- including those tied to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)
-- continued to push similar content.
Several images and videos shared by Pakistani sources
were either digitally altered or lifted from unrelated incidents, often years
old, and repurposed to suggest a fabricated narrative of retaliation and
military prowess.
Observers noted that even influential political figures
joined in, sharing discredited material and making unsubstantiated claims of
victorious counterstrikes.
Analysts have described this as a concerted effort by
Pakistan's information machinery to reshape public perception in the aftermath
of India's operation.
According to experts tracking the flow of disinformation,
the use of manipulated content, such as outdated war footage and repurposed
disaster videos, forms part of a longstanding strategy employed by Pakistan's
state-linked media to maintain a psychological narrative of parity and defiance
against India -- especially following high-impact Indian military operations.
In response to the flood of misinformation, the Indian
government reiterated its call for the public and the press to rely exclusively
on verified updates from official sources.
Authorities also warned against the dangers of
circulating unverified or fake news that could create unnecessary panic or
mislead public opinion.
