Akshey Kumar
A Digital War Beyond Borders
As India and Pakistan edged dangerously close to war in May 2025, an invisible but potent battlefield emerged online. Beyond missiles and military maneuvers, a fierce digital war of misinformation unfolded, with social media platforms becoming hotbeds for fake news and propaganda. Notably, Pakistani-linked disinformation campaigns played a significant role in spreading false narratives in India, escalating tensions and complicating the already volatile relationship between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Pakistan’s Fake News During Operation Sindoor
The conflict was sparked after militants attacked a tourist site in Indian-administered Kashmir, killing 26 people, an attack New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, a military offensive targeting militant infrastructure. But as the physical conflict escalated, an equally intense battle over information took place online.
Social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and WhatsApp became fertile grounds for false claims and fake news, many originating from Pakistan and rapidly spreading across Indian digital spaces.
According to the reports and analysis of Ellis-Petersen from The Guardian reveal how Pakistani propaganda aggressively leveraged social media to circulate fabricated stories of False claims proliferated stating that Pakistan had downed multiple Indian jets, captured Indian pilots, and even seized key Indian cities. One viral post ominously declared, “We’ll be having breakfast in Rawalpindi tomorrow,” referring to Pakistan’s military headquarters, a claim that, as The Guardian confirmed, was baseless.
These claims were often accompanied by doctored images and AI-generated videos designed to lend a veneer of credibility. For example, video game footage was repurposed as authentic visuals of Pakistani air force success, while clips from unrelated conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, were falsely presented as scenes of Pakistani strikes on Indian territory.
Pakistani propaganda also included fabricated images, such as a doctored photo of a Turkish pilot purportedly captured by Indian forces, falsely attributed to Pakistani captures. This deluge of misinformation was not just confined to obscure social media accounts; journalists and government ministers in Pakistan amplified these falsehoods, pushing the false narrative of Pakistani dominance in the conflict.
The Times of India echoed similar findings, highlighting how Pakistani misinformation campaigns exploited the opacity of the conflict to manipulate public perception. The paper reported that viral fake content included claims of Pakistani cyberattacks that supposedly knocked out most of India’s power grid, as well as rumors that Indian soldiers had surrendered en masse by raising white flags.
Experts contextualize this wave of fake news within a broader global trend of “hybrid warfare,” where digital misinformation operates as a weapon alongside conventional military forces. The Washington DC-based Centre for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), which monitored misinformation during the conflict, noted that this weaponization of disinformation is “not an isolated phenomenon, but part of a broader global trend” in modern warfare.
Case Study: Operation Ghost SIM
According to India Today Report, Pakistan’s covert disinformation strategy is the 2025 crackdown on a large-scale fake SIM card racket, known as Operation Ghost SIM. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) exposed a network distributing over 10,000 fake SIM cards across Assam, Telangana, and Rajasthan, which were used to create thousands of fake WhatsApp and Telegram accounts to disseminate propaganda. This operation coincided with increased online misinformation during sensitive events, including national elections and military engagements, highlighting the systematic nature of Pakistan’s digital propaganda campaigns.
Why Pakistan Spread False Propaganda and India’s Counter-Strategy
Pakistan spreads fake news in India as part of a broader strategy of psychological and informational warfare aimed at destabilizing the country from within. By circulating false narratives, especially during times of conflict, Pakistan seeks to create panic, confusion, and mistrust among Indian citizens. The goal is to inflame communal tensions, discredit Indian institutions, and erode public confidence in the government and military. These tactics are designed to weaken India’s internal cohesion without direct confrontation. Fake news also helps amplify Pakistan’s narrative globally while masking its own role in regional conflicts, making disinformation a powerful tool in its strategic playbook.
However, India has actively countered these attempts through authentic sources such as the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and independent fact-checking platforms like Alt News and BOOM Live.
Recommendations
According to my own field research conducted during this period, I surveyed students in the Jammu region to understand the impact of social media in spreading fake news, particularly Pakistani propaganda. Using a structured questionnaire, I gathered responses from multiple students across various institutions. The majority of participants acknowledged that misinformation had significantly influenced public opinion during the conflict. Notably, most students emphasized the urgent need to enhance media literacy and critical thinking skills. They believed that improving awareness and digital education is essential to counteract false narratives and ensure that malicious propaganda, especially from hostile sources like Pakistan, fails.
Conclusion
The spread of fake news by Pakistan during periods of heightened tension with India highlights the growing threat of information warfare in the digital age. Social media has become a powerful tool for hostile narratives, aiming to mislead the public and destabilize internal harmony. However, India’s proactive response through government fact-checking agencies and independent media watchdogs has played a vital role in exposing and debunking false claims. Public awareness and media literacy are key to strengthening national resilience. Empowering citizens with critical thinking skills and reliable information is essential to safeguard India’s democratic fabric against foreign propaganda and misinformation. |
