 "Fake news factory: How Pakistani TV channels, X handles are targeting Indian military post-Pahalgam")
In the aftermath of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, India took swift diplomatic actions against Pakistan. The country was accused of having a hand in the horrific incident that took 26 lives.
India sought to hold its neighbouring country accountable for its support to terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and by extension, offshoots like The Resistance Force (TRF), which had initially claimed responsibility for the attack.
Indus Waters Treaty was held in abeyance, a NOTAM restricting Pakistani aircraft from Indian airspace was issues, and renewed global outreach to isolate Islamabad began.
Just as support from the international community for India began to flow in, social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) were flooded by a structured Pakistan-based disinformation campaign.
Coordinated disinformation campaign on X
Coordinated disinformation posts attempting to portray India as unstable and its military as disoriented popped up everywhere.
One viral post falsely claimed the Indian Air Force (IAF) “accidentally bombed” a civilian area in Madhya Pradesh. The visual of a Su-30 fighter jet dropping munitions was used in several misleading posts.
It wasn’t a one-off instance. Multiple accounts would post the same information, perhaps with differing images and slight paraphrasing. Take a look at two such posts:
These fake claims were then amplified by other accounts on X. For instance, a handle that purportedly uses X to share data-driven stories carried on this disinformation campaign further, reaching thousands of followers.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsYet another piece of FAKE NEWS being deliberately circulated online. INS Vikrant was not operationally deployed against Pakistan, and has not "pulled back".
— IORMonitor (@IORMonitor) April 28, 2025
This post fits a pattern of disinformation that have targeted Indian Army, Indian Navy, and IAF.#IOR https://t.co/HpUYvOaKKp
INS Vikrant had not caught fire, and it had not returned from deployment because it wasn’t heading to Pakistan for a deployment to begin with. Many X users pointed out that the image was doctored.
In case of the claim regarding the Indian Air Force, the source was a tweet by the IAF itself. But the tweet had mentioned that a non-explosive store had accidentally dropped off a fighter aircraft. No bomb was involved.
Despite multiple users pointing out the information was false, the handles did not remove them.
Interestingly, the three handles (of the many that were involved in spreading misinformation) mentioned here regularly made either completely pro-Pakistan posts (calling Indian citizens in Kashmir “germs” and referring to Jammu and Kashmir as “India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir” in line with Pakistani government’s talking points) or seemed to cover global news, but always aligned with the Pakistani establishment’s narratives without fact-checking.
Many have been blocked in India by action of the government.
Mainstream media follows the trend
This online activity escalated into televised disinformation. Pakistani state broadcaster PTV and private channel ARY News ran reports falsely claiming that Indian generals had been sacked or imprisoned for criticising the government and opposing retaliation against Pakistan. Mainstream media followed the trend of spreading fake news against Indian military while parallely parroting the talking points of Pakistani government and military top brass.
In the video clip below, an analyst speaking on PTV News is falsely claiming that Lieutenant General Suchindra Kumar had asserted that Pahalgam attack was perpetrated by India and that it was (simultaneously, somehow) also an intelligence failure.
The analyst goes on to say that Lt Gen Kumar was arrested for this.
The fact of the matter is that Lt Gen Kumar retired honourably on April 30 upon superannuation after nearly four decades of distinguished service. The routine change of command had been notified well in advance. The Indian Army had posted about this, too.
Lieutenant General MV Suchindra Kumar after completing an illustrious career of four decades in the Indian Army, today relinquished the Command of Indian Army’s Northern Command. He was given a befitting farewell by the brave men and women of the Command.
— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) April 30, 2025
The Indian Army… https://t.co/wsXO2lAJAr
In an even more brazen attempt to spread fake news, ARY News anchor claimed that Lt Gen DS Rana, Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DG DIA), had been sent to the infamous “Kala Pani” prison in Andaman and Nicobar islands. For starters, the punishment of exile to Kala Pani was a colonial practice that has been discontinued for a long time now.
Secondly, far from being dismissed, Lt Gen Rana has been promoted to rank of Commander-in-Chief in situ. This means that he is now elevated to a higher rank in the same appointment as DG DIA. He will take over as Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), a prestigious tri-services command on June 1.
PIB fact-checked this.
#Pakistan based News Channel @ARYNEWSOFFICIAL and several pro-Pakistan social media accounts are falsely claiming that Lt Gen DS Rana, Director General Defence Intelligence Agency has been removed from his post and deputed to the Andaman & Nicobar.#PIBFactCheck
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 3, 2025
❌ This claim… pic.twitter.com/ppuYetsrBI
What’s behind the massive disinformation campaign?
At least two purposes of this disinformation campaign are apparent at a glance.
First, to create panic and confusion within the Indian population— eroding confidence in its armed forces and governance. And second, to bolster Pakistani domestic narratives that suggest India is “falling apart” under pressure, thus masking the country’s own vulnerabilities after the Pahalgam massacre and expected diplomatic fallout.
Although not new (think back to fake news spread after Balakot airstrike), this disinformation wave is unusually synchronised. Pakistan’s “fake news machinery” appears to be evolving in both scale and sophistication.
India’s counter-disinformation response has been swift. The government has blocked dozens of Pakistan-linked YouTube channels and social media pages spreading falsified narratives.
The Press Information Bureau’s fact-checking wing has been regularly debunking viral claims and urging citizens to verify content before sharing. Indian defence officials have also taken to official handles to clarify misinformation in real time.
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