Indian media’s anti-Pakistan propaganda exposed after Pahalgam

WEB DESK: Defence analysts and media watchdogs have slammed India’s “orchestrated propaganda campaign” following the recent Pahalgam incident, accusing New Delhi of recycling baseless allegations against Pakistan without evidence. At least 24 people were killed in the attack that happened in the summer retreat of Pahalgam, which lies about 90 kilometres (55 miles) by road from the key city of Srinagar.

Reports have revealed a familiar pattern in Indian media’s response to terror attacks that within minutes of the Pahalgam incident, pro-government social media accounts — which are perhaps linked to India’s intelligence agency RAW — began trending #PakSponsoredTerror. BJP leaders, including JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah, amplified the narrative within an hour, while fake “Kashmiri” accounts and military-affiliated handles like ‘Major Govinda’ joined the smear campaign as well.

Pakistan FO expresses concern over Pahalgam attack

The timeline showed a scripted response that by 3:05 PM, RAW-linked accounts blamed Pakistan; by 3:30 PM, BJP leaders and hundreds of synchronised accounts launched identical tweets, and within an hour, fake intelligence reports were leaked and pushed by RSS trolls.

Analysts noted glaring inconsistencies, pointing out that no footage of the 27 alleged victims was shown, rather a single image of a woman near a “body” circulated. The attack site was 400 km from the LoC, raising questions about how such an operation could occur under the watch of India’s 900,000 troops in Kashmir.

Analysts raised several questions about the incident’s timing and the immediate social media response. They noted the unusual speed with which certain accounts began commenting on the event, questioning whether this indicated a pre-planned narrative. Observers also pointed out that similar incidents in the past have often coincided with important diplomatic visits or domestic political events in India. Many have called for concrete evidence before drawing conclusions about any party’s involvement, while some have referenced previous controversial incidents that were later proven to be staged.

Critics highlighted India’s repeated use of terrorism allegations to divert attention from domestic unrest, including its crackdown on Sikh activists. With no proof presented, analysts termed the Pahalgam claims a “desperate attempt to vilify Pakistan” ahead of upcoming international engagements.

The incident has renewed scrutiny of India’s propaganda machinery, with observers urging independent verification of its claims. As tensions escalate, Pakistan continues to call for credible investigations, and has issued a statement expressing concern over the attack.