Within less than half an hour of India’s missile strikes, Pakistan’s army spokespersons were on all major international channels, giving their version of the events to the world. Pakistan presented itself as the aggrieved party, railing against India’s “cowardly act against sleeping civilians”. Lt General Ahmed Sharif, director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), was on air with CNN saying that India had launched an “unprovoked act of war” by hitting civilian targets across Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Operation Sindoor: Scoring Propaganda Points
India and Pakistan have launched a massive propaganda war against each other to garner support from the rest of the world.
He said mosques were targeted at two locations and civilians living in residential buildings were killed in the Indian attack. “A mosque is a place of worship and international law is against the targeting of religious sites,” he said. By focusing on the human cost of India’s military actions, Pakistan hopes to draw global attention to New Delhi’s disproportionate use of force. Islamabad has asked the world to condemn India’s action to prevent further escalation.
Since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, India and Pakistan have launched a massive propaganda war against each other to garner support from the rest of the world for their respective national governments.
At times of simmering tension between nations, propaganda becomes an important tool of foreign policy. India was using it to justify its military strike against terror camps in Pakistan, and Islamabad was hoping to show up India’s “unfounded and baseless” accusations about a Pakistan hand in the terror attack in Kashmir.
Propaganda War
Pakistan’s points against India are:
India has not provided a shred of evidence despite repeated requests for details on terror emanating from Pakistani territory. Instead, immediately after the Pahalgam attack, New Delhi blamed Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said he is ready for a neutral and impartial investigation into the attack.
Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism, and has had to bear the brunt of terror attacks on its soil.
The country has charged India of backing and helping terror groups in its restive Balochistan province. Soon after the hijacking of a train in Balochistan by the Baloch Liberation Army, Rawalpindi pointed fingers at India.
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India’s water war against Pakistan is against international law, according to Islamabad. By keeping the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, New Delhi was flouting international conventions.
While making all these points against India, the Pakistani Army cannot appear to be weak. The military has promised action against India. Ahmed Sharif has said that Pakistani jets scrambled moments after India’s missile attack and shot down two Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft. He said one of them was downed in Bhatinda in India’s Punjab district and the other in Akhnoor in Kashmir. India has not confirmed this. Hours later, Pakistan claimed that it has downed altogether five IAF planes. Pakistan said the five Indian military aircraft, included three Rafale jets, a MiG-29 and a SU-30, along with a drone. There is no confirmation from India of these allegations.
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India’s Propaganda Efforts
With terrorism a major issue across the world since 26/11, it has been much easier for India to sell its version to the world. The US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies are in the know of Pakistan’s double game during the 20 years of military action in Afghanistan. However, this does not mean that every country is buying India’s line. For one, Pakistan’s friends like China and Türkiye are inclined to go with Islamabad’s views.
India’s points against Pakistan are:
India has framed its missile strikes against Pakistan as a counter-terror operation to break the terror infrastructure located in PoK and Punjab.
The Pakistan military has a record of using terror as an instrument of foreign policy. India has had multiple experiences of terrorists funded and supported by Pakistan striking across India―the Parliament attack of 2001, the 26/11 multiple Mumbai terror strikes of 2008, Uri in 2016, Pulwama in 2019 and Pahalgam in 2025.
To Pakistan’s charge on lack of evidence, the Indian foreign secretary said at today’s briefing that investigations into the Pahalgam attack have traced communication nodes of the terrorists in and to Pakistan.
He also pointed out that the claims of the Resistance Front were reposted by known social media handles of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Indian intelligence has developed an accurate picture of the planners and backers of the terror team.
India has sought to rally international support by emphasising its right to self-defense and portraying itself as a victim of cross-border terrorism.
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