Months after the four-day conflict between India and Pakistan in May, Islamabad has reportedly woven a disputed version of events into its school curriculum, presenting what independent accounts describe as a setback as a “victory.”
The new textbooks portray India as the aggressor, Pakistani forces as decisive defenders, and General Asim Munir’s promotion to Field Marshal as the crowning outcome of the clash, as per an India Today report.
One textbook section claims that Indian forces launched unprovoked attacks on May 6 after “false allegations” linking Pakistan to a massacre in Pahalgam, Kashmir. However, in reality, 26 civilians were killed in the attack, traced by Indian officials to Pakistan-based militants.
India had responded with Operation Sindoor, striking nine terror hideouts of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Hizbul Mujahideen in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
New Delhi has maintained that civilian areas were avoided, and Pakistan’s claims of collateral casualties remain unverified.
Another passage credits Pakistani retaliation as “professional and limited,” targeting only Indian military posts. Indian officials have, nonetheless, countered that Islamabad launched drones and missiles not only on military sites but also on civilian areas in Amritsar, Jammu, and Srinagar.
In response, India struck Pakistan’s HQ-9 air defence system in Lahore and carried out deep strikes in Sialkot and Islamabad.
The most dramatic claim is that Pakistan destroyed 26 Indian air bases under Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos. Independent satellite imagery and visuals showed otherwise.
Indian airbases, including Adampur and Srinagar, remained operational. Instead, Indian strikes damaged key Pakistani facilities at Murid, Nur Khan, Rafiqui, Sargodha, Chaklala, and Rahim Yar Khan, along with Rawalpindi, the army’s headquarters. The closure of the Rahim Yar Khan airbase for weeks afterwards has been cited as indirect confirmation of the damage.
The textbooks also assert that India “begged for peace” under pressure from Washington. However, the ceasefire was worked out directly between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries without the mediation of any third party.
General Asim Munir’s elevation to Field Marshal is framed as recognition of “outstanding performance.” It is, however, believed that the rare promotion was symbolic, intended to project victory domestically and reinforce the military’s influence, rather than a reflection of battlefield achievements.
By embedding these contested claims into school textbooks, Islamabad is shaping a narrative for its younger generations that diverges significantly from independent accounts and verified evidence.
The outcome of the May conflict was unambiguous -- India struck deep at terror infrastructure and key Pakistani airbases, causing substantial damage, while most Pakistani retaliatory attempts were intercepted or failed to achieve their objectives.
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