Pahalgam attack followed by wave of fake news from pro-Pakistan accounts, India responds with facts

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In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, that claimed 26 lives, a coordinated wave of misinformation has flooded social media, originating largely from pro-Pakistan accounts. These accounts have been actively pushing false narratives targeting the Indian Army and the central government, aiming to sow confusion, provoke communal discord, and shift global perception about the incident.

The fact-check unit of Press Information Bureau has been on high alert, identifying and debunking multiple pieces of fake news that have surfaced in the past week. The misinformation ranges from doctored images and manipulated videos to false claims about army operations and alleged communal discord in different parts of the country.

It recently flagged fake documents circulating on social media, which claimed to be related to the preparedness of the Indian Army. The government also blocked a message doing the rounds on WhatsApp terming it as "misleading". The message talked about the contribution of one rupee every day for "modernisation of the Indian Army and for soldiers who are injured or martyred in the war zone".

Similarly, several pro-Pakistan social media accounts have been "falsely claiming" that Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar, commander of the Northern Army, was removed from his post following the Pahalgam attack. Some reports even claimed Lt Gen Kumar was arrested or taken into custody for security lapses. All these reports have been flagged as "false" by the PIB's fact-checking arm.

Meanwhile, the government has also blocked 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for allegedly disseminating "false, provocative and communally sensitive content" about India and has also strongly objected to the BBC's reportage on the Pahalgam attack.

The government's move follows recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in the upper reaches of the Kashmir resort town in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. Besides, the Ministry of External Affairs will be monitoring reporting of the BBC, which termed terrorists as militants, officials said.

The YouTube channels blocked are Dawn News, Irshad Bhatti, SAMAA TV, ARY NEWS, BOL NEWS, Raftar, The Pakistan Reference, Geo News, Samaa Sports, GNN, Uzair Cricket, Umar Cheema Exclusive, Asma Shirazi, Muneeb Farooq, SUNO News and Razi Naama.

The coordinated nature of these disinformation campaigns suggests a strategic effort to internationalise the Kashmir issue, paint India as an aggressor, and dilute global outrage against terrorism emanating from Pakistani soil. Experts point out that such tactics are a recurring pattern after major terror incidents in India, particularly those that expose Pakistan’s proxy warfare.