How Pakistani ministers humiliated themselves and exposed their own lies on global media

Pakistani ministers have been running to global media since the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, intending to convey their government’s viewpoints, desperate to change the anti-Pakistan narrative growing across the globe. While it was understood that Pakistan would play a different narrative for its domestic audience, its ministers embarrassed themselves when they attempted the same on the global stage.

The first major subject which they sought to highlight was that Pakistan no longer supports terrorists and there are no terrorist camps in the country. However, in the end they either contradicted themselves or ended up with mud on their faces.

In an interview with Sky News, Pakistan’s defence minister Khwaja Asif admitted that Pakistan had been harbouring terrorists on its soil. He mentioned, ‘Well, we have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades.’ He added, ‘Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) doesn’t exist in Pakistan anymore. It is extinct. It is extinct… if the parent organisation does not exist, how can the offshoot take birth here?’ However, it is an open secret that the terror organisations, such as LeT, not only exist but are actively supported by the Pakistani establishment.

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Bilawal Bhutto echoed Khwaja Asif’s views. In an interview with Sky News he mentioned, ‘I don’t think that it’s a secret that Pakistan has a past as far as extremist groups are concerned.’ He meant it no longer does. No one believed them.

Pakistan’s information minister Attaullah Tarar, questioned by Afghanistan-born journalist Yalda Hakim on Indian armed forces targeting terrorist camps, mentioned, ‘Let me make it very clear, there are no terrorist camps in Pakistan.’ She fact-checked Tarar with Khawaja Asif’s statement on the subject in an interview with her itself on the same channel, as well as comments by Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto on the subject. He was left red-faced and stammering.

Former Pakistan minister Hina Rabbani Khar walked out of a live debate being conducted by UK journalist Piers Morgan where Barkha Dutt was also present. When questioned by the host on the presence of terrorist groups on their soil, she responded, ‘I would reject your last comment (on terrorist groups in Pakistan). Pakistan is the country which is trying to correct the wrongs.’ When grilled by Barkha Dutt with details, she left the show, possibly ashamed at being proved wrong.

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The Pakistan army itself proved its ministers’ comments on not supporting terrorism as lies when senior officers, including Lieutenant General Fayyaz Hussain Shah, a Corps Commander, and Maj Gen Rao Imran Sartaj, amongst others, attended funeral prayers of killed LeT terrorists. The prayers were led by LeT leader Hafiz Abdul Rauf, a UN-sanctioned terrorist with a $10 million bounty on his head. Terrorist coffins were draped in Pakistani flags, conveying they were accorded a state funeral, which even members of Pakistan’s armed forces do not receive.

The second subject was an international investigation into Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam attack. Khwaja Asif, in an interview with Russian government-run RIA Novosti news agency, said, ‘Let’s find out who is the culprit and the perpetrator of this incident in India, in Kashmir; talk or empty statements have no effect. There must be some evidence that Pakistan is involved or that these people were supported by Pakistan.’

Khwaja Asif subsequently claimed it was a ’false flag operation’. Shehbaz Sharif backed this claim by mentioning, ‘Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation.’ Not a single nation supported Pakistan’s stand of not being involved. The investigations into the Mumbai terrorist attacks and Pathankot have yet to conclude; this would take a few lifetimes.

At the same time, Ishaq Dar, who doubles as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, termed the terrorists who conducted the attack as ‘freedom fighters’. It is only Pakistan which terms terrorists operating in Kashmir as freedom fighters. No wonder, not a single Western or West Asian nation heeded Pakistan’s demand of joining an independent investigation.

The third subject was on India’s Operation Sindoor. On April 30, Pakistan’s information minister Attaullah Tarar held a press conference at 2 am mentioning India will attack Pakistan within the next ‘24-36 hours’, claiming ‘credible intelligence’. Nothing happened for another week. He was left licking his wounds.

Playing to his local audience at a rally, Bilawal Bhutto mentioned, ‘Standing here in Sukkur by the Indus, I want to tell India that the Indus is ours and will remain ours. Either water will flow in this Indus, or their blood will.’ Empty threats and a bunch of lies have been Pakistan’s forte. There is nothing Pakistan can do on the Indus Water Treaty. India held the treaty in abeyance, not suspending it. On this, the World Bank has no role now.

When questioned on their claim of Pakistan shooting down five Indian jets, their defence minister, Khawaja Asif, mentioned, ‘It is all on social media and Indian social media, not our social media.’ When quizzed further on proof, as social media is not evidence, he responded, ‘I can’t hear you properly.’ Are these the qualities of Pakistan’s famed ministers?

A similar statement was made by their Air Force spokesperson. As proof they displayed an image of an aircraft on fire, which was fact-checked to be of a fighter crash of September 2024. The story continues within Pakistan with no global backing. Shares of Rafale are the highest ever, solely because it was a success.

Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UNSC sought a closed-door session hoping to gain their sympathy and support against India, post Pahalgam. The entire incident backfired. The Pakistan representative, Asim Iftikhar, was grilled on the presence of the LeT on its soil.

The next aspect was of the call for a ceasefire. Pakistan ministers, including its PM Shehbaz Sharif and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto, amongst others, refused to accept that they approached India, claiming it was Trump who brokered the ceasefire. India denied any such intervention.

New Delhi’s silence was enough. The world is aware that in panic, the Pakistan army chief, Asim Munir, called US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asking for an intervention. He advised Pakistan to directly interact with India, which it did.

Since the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistani ministers have attempted to control the damage and also gain global support by presenting themselves on global media networks. However, they have faced a storm of national embarrassment not just over the country’s continued support for terrorism but also for their gaffes on television.

Pakistan ministers’ gaffes were an embarrassment even within the nation. Pakistan MP Zartaj Gul strongly criticised Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for his recent appearances in international media, describing his behaviour as ‘irresponsible’. She stated in the Senate, ‘If you don’t know English, don’t go on international media… don’t mock yourself; don’t mock your government.’

On the contrary, no Indian minister went on global media to brag or defend the Indian decision. That itself gave credence to its actions. In fact, Indian ministers were missing from the media. They were visible in meetings and discussions, never in the media. India did not thump its chest. Prime Minister Modi gave a message of response immediately after Pahalgam and promised retaliation. He made it clear that armed forces will determine the time, place and level.

It was after Operation Sindoor that the PM resurfaced and sent a message to the world on India’s ‘new normal’ on dealing with Pakistan and emanating terrorism in his national address. He stated the truth about Pakistan approaching India for peace out of fear, debunking Trump’s mediation as also Pakistan’s fake claims. It was after this that India’s defence minister and the external affairs minister surfaced.

India does not need to change global narratives; it already has international support. Pakistan acted like an immature child whose mischief is caught and is compelled to lie to save face.

The author is a former Indian Army officer, strategic analyst and columnist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.