India Pakistan news LIVE: Schools in Punjab border districts reopen today
India Pakistan news LIVE: Most of the schools in Jammu and Kashmir reopened on Tuesday as ceasefire understanding remained intact between New Delhi and Islamabad.
India Pakistan news LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his surprise visit to Punjab's Adampur airbase on Tuesday, defined India's show of strength and said that New Delhi had made its red line against terrorism crystal clear. He asserted that any future attack on India will be met with a fierce response. ...Read More
The prime minister's visit stood out further as a Russian-origin S-400 missile launcher was seen in the background while he hailed the Indian armed forces for scripting history.
Adampur, one of Indian Air Force's premier bases, is among those that Pakistan falsely claimed to have attacked and destroyed the S-400 there. India, however, debunked Islamabad's claims and said that there was only limited damage to equipment and personnel at the Adampur IAF station.
Ceasefire between India and Pakistan continued to remain intact as Jammu and Kashmir, and border towns began moving back into their usual routine. However, some residents of J&K's border areas are still afraid to return home, with locals saying it is difficult for them to "trust Pakistan" and that they cannot go back home until there's an absolute certainty that they will be safe.
India expels Pak high commission staffer
Meanwhile, in another major move, India on Tuesday expelled the Pakistan high commission staffer in the national capital for his alleged links with two people from Punjab, who were arrested this week on charges of involvement in espionage.
A statement from the ministry of external affairs said the Centre declared the staffer "persona non grata for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India".
India Pakistan ceasefire | Key points Schools in all border districts in Punjab are reopening on Wednesday, May 14, as situation remains calm amid ceasefire with Pakistan. Schools in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Pathankot, Fazilka, Ferozepur will open today, while those in Gurdaspur reopened on Tuesday itself.
Majority of the schools and colleges in Kashmir reopened on Tuesday, except for those in the border districts. Officials said that educational institutes in Kupwara, Baramulla and in Bandipora's Gurez sector will remain closed for now. Meanwhile, Kashmir University is also set to resume classes on Wednesday.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah visited Pakistani shelling-affected area in Kupwara on Tuesday and affirmed that his government will provide compensation to those affected. He pressed that the ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbours must hold as people want peace.
India on Tuesday rebutted US President Donald Trump's claims of mediating ceasefire, with MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stating that New Delhi's long-standing stance has been that any J&K-related issues "have to be address by India and Pakistan bilaterally". He added, 'That stated policy has not changed. As you are aware, the outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan.'
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday again reiterated his claim of America having brokered the India-Pakistan ceasefire. During his Saudi Arabia trip, he used the New Delhi-Islamabad truce as an example to back his wish of wanting to remain a 'peacemaker', claiming that his administration asked both nations to trade goods, instead of nuclear missiles.
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May 14, 2025 7:17 AM IST
Despite India rejecting his claim of having brokered the Pakistan ceasefire understanding over trade recently, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday once again reiterated the same in a speech in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh.
Vising Saudi Arabia on a bilateral trip, Donald Trump stated that he hoped to be a peacemaker as he announced removing longstanding US sanctions against Syria, imposed during ex-President Bashar al-Assad's rule.
To back up his 'peacemaker' statement, Trump also used the recent India-Pakistan ceasefire as an example and claimed that his administration asked both India and Pakistan to trade goods, instead of nuclear missiles.
May 14, 2025 7:17 AM IST
India on Tuesday pushed back against US President Donald Trump's offer to mediate on Kashmir and his claim that he used trade to prevent a 'nuclear war' between India and Pakistan, with the external affairs ministry saying the military action under Operation Sindoor was 'entirely in the conventional domain'.
Trump, who first announced the military understanding reached between India and Pakistan on May 10, offered to mediate on the Kashmir issue and claimed that he used trade to stop a "bad nuclear war".
Responding to a question about Trump's offer to mediate on the Kashmir issue, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India's long-standing position has been that any issues related to Jammu and Kashmir 'have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally'. He added, 'That stated policy has not changed. As you are aware, the outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan.'
Jaiswal responded to another question on Trump's comments about a possible nuclear war by saying that the military action during Operation Sindoor was 'entirely in the conventional domain'.
May 14, 2025 7:17 AM IST
India on Tuesday expelled a staffer of the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi for his alleged links with two people from Punjab who were arrested this week on charges of involvement in espionage, people familiar with the matter said.
A statement from the external affairs ministry said the government had declared the staffer of the Pakistani mission 'persona non grata for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India'. The statement did not give further details of the matter.
May 14, 2025 7:11 AM IST
Addressing the armed forces personnel at the Adampur air base in Punjab on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra doubled up the show of strength and said that India's new Lakshman Rekha (red line) against terrorism is crystal clear. He affirmed that New Delhi will respond to any future attack fiercely.
'India's Lakshman Rekha against terrorism is now crystal clear. India will respond strongly if hit by a terror attack and our response will be at a time of our choosing, on our conditions and in our way,' he said in the context of Operation Sindoor during his nearly 30-minute address.
'I have come here today for a darshan of our brave soldiers...you have scripted history and will be an inspiration for this generation and the future," he added.
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Economic Times
9 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Operation Social Media: Digital dogs of war bark loud, bite little in Pakistan's info ops
Live Events When bots go off louder than bombs Indian jets capturing Lahore and Karachi. Arrest of Pakistan's army chief and an alleged military coup. A Pakistani cyberattack disabling India's power grid. India bombing Afghan territory or surrendering in key battlefronts. Pakistan's playbook Videos from Lebanon's 2020 explosion being shared as missile strikes on Indian cities. Drone footage from Jalandhar fires framed as attacks. Game footage falsely portraying Pakistani military success. Recycled images from other conflict zones passed off as Indian casualties. Inside Pakistan's covert spy ring Open-source intelligence: Boon or bane? Newsrooms under fire Cyber Frontline: 1.5 million attacks, but only 150 breaches India's response AI fact-checkers Truth is the first casualty, but not the last word (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel 'Indian forces wave the white flag!'"Karachi captured!""Pakistan Army Chief arrested!"None of it was true. All of it went India and Pakistan teetered on the edge of open warfare this May following a gruesome terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians, a parallel battle unfolded, not on land or in air, but in the boundless terrain of was not merely a war of missiles and drones; it was an orchestrated campaign of perception warfare, fuelled by a deluge of misinformation and psychological operations designed to distort, distract and is how 'Operation Social Media' unfolded -- an invisible front that exposed how deeply disinformation can influence modern conflict, and how India, despite facing a sophisticated hybrid threat, sought to maintain both operational focus and digital crisis began with a terror attack at a popular tourist spot in Kashmir. The assault bore the fingerprints of Pakistan-based terror outfits, prompting New Delhi to launch Operation Sindoor , a series of precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May immediately, unverified claims began saturating social media. According to reports from The Guardian and The Washington Post, X (formerly Twitter) became a hotbed of false triumphs, premature victory laps, and fictionalised videos, repurposed war clips, and even footage from video games like Arma 3 flooded social media platforms during the India-Pakistan standoff, giving rise to a parallel narrative war. These posts were amplified by a mix of anonymous accounts, official handles, and even journalists acting on unverified internet observatory NetBlocks reported that 65% of these viral false posts originated from IP addresses linked to Pakistan, while another 20% came from untraceable bot to the Washington-based non-profit think tank, the Centre for the Study of Organized Hate, 'X emerged as the primary hub for both misinformation and disinformation.' The think tank analysed 437 such posts and found that 179, or nearly 41%, originated from verified accounts, which are often perceived as credible due to their blue-check status. These included posts by politicians, influencers, media personalities, and retired military officials.'What was particularly alarming,' the report noted, 'was the credibility lent to these falsehoods by high-profile sources.' Despite the scale of this disinformation, only 73 posts, just 17%, were flagged by X's Community Notes, the platform's crowd-sourced fact-checking feature. This, the think tank argued, pointed to a serious lapse in content moderation at a time of high geopolitical Hameed Naik, director of the think tank, described the information war as 'a global trend in hybrid warfare'. 'This wasn't ordinary nationalist chest-thumping,' said Joyojeet Pal of the University of Michigan. 'This had the potential to push two nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink.'The social media campaign didn't begin with Operation Sindoor; it was already underway. On April 25, days before the Indian Air Force strike, India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had announced the banning of 16 YouTube channels and several Instagram accounts for spreading 'provocative and communally sensitive content.'Of these, six were Pakistan-based and ten operated from within India, with a combined viewership of over 680 million.A key inflection point came when Pakistan lifted its year-long ban on X during the peak of the crisis. According to minutes from a Pakistani Senate committee meeting, this move was deliberate and strategic, intended to enable Islamabad to 'participate in the narrative war.'NetBlocks confirmed that access to X in Pakistan was restored precisely as tensions with India escalated, giving Pakistani agencies and allied influencers a wide window to flood the platform with misleading and often provocative the aftermath of the operation, and as misinformation swirled on social media, India's Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check division stepped in to debunk dozens of viral claims. These included:Together, these examples offer a window into the scale, coordination, and intent behind the disinformation campaign, aimed not just at misleading the public but also at distorting the global perception of India's military and political a related espionage probe, Indian intelligence uncovered a Pakistan-backed operation recruiting social media influencers as spies. Naushaba Shahzad Masood, known as 'Madam N', runs Jaiyana Travels and Tourism in Lahore. She was building a network of 500 spies inside India, focusing on Hindu and Sikh YouTubers like Jyoti Malhotra and Jasbir six months, Naushaba arranged travel for about 3,000 Indians and 1,500 expatriates to Pakistan, fast-tracking visas through direct contacts at the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi. She also managed Sikh and Hindu pilgrimage tours with the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), charging inflated fees that funded ISI trails include Naushaba's phone number found on arrested spies' devices and two Pakistani bank accounts linked to transfers from India. Her network recruits through agents operating in major Indian cities, including situation also highlighted the double-edged nature of Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT). Originally conceived to empower citizens through satellite images, open data, and social media monitoring, OSINT's decentralised model became a tool for mass manipulation.'Anyone with an internet connection could now pose as an OSINT expert,' observed an analysis published by ET. The danger lies in viral misinformation being passed off as expert assessments, especially when retweeted by influencers and news outlets under pressure for real-time Indian newsrooms too fell for the deluge of fake to The Washington Post, in one case, a journalist reportedly received a WhatsApp message, allegedly from a public broadcaster, claiming that Pakistan's army chief had been arrested. Within minutes, this falsehood became prime-time 'breaking news.'Speaking to The Post, Former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao described the atmosphere as one of 'hypernationalism' and 'parallel reality,' cautioning that the lack of authoritative government briefings created a vacuum often filled by not everyone was Press Information Bureau, along with a 24/7 monitoring centre set up by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, worked to counter misinformation in real time. Fact-checks were issued, social media handles were flagged, and broadcasters were warned for violating verification social media churned with false claims, the real-time cyber threat was no less intense. According to Maharashtra Cyber, over 1.5 million cyber attacks were launched against Indian infrastructure by seven Pakistan-allied Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) barrage of cyberattacks not only came from the neighbouring country but from Bangladesh and the Middle Eastern hacker collectives such as APT 36 (also known as Transparent Tribe), Pakistan Cyber Force, and Team Insane PK launched a coordinated series of cyberattacks in the days surrounding the arsenal included malware campaigns, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, GPS spoofing attempts, and website defacements aimed at sowing panic and disrupting public trust in India's digital to officials familiar with the matter, India faced over 1.5 million intrusion attempts during this period. However, only 150 attacks were successful, a tiny claims that the hackers had penetrated Mumbai's airport systems or Election Commission portals were found to be baseless. Addressing reporters, a senior official of Maharashtra Cyber debunked claims of hackers stealing data from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, hacking aviation and municipal systems, and targeting the Election Commission website."The probe discovered that cyber attacks on (government websites in) India decreased after India-Pakistan ceased hostilities, but not fully stopped. These attacks continue from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Morocco, and Middle Eastern countries," he Indian government's 'Road of Sindoor' report, a classified cyber threat assessment, showed these attacks were part of a coordinated hybrid warfare strategy involving both digital and psychological the information war raged online, Indian armed forces maintained disciplined silence and strategic clarity. Official statements were sparse, but targeted. Operation Sindoor focused solely on dismantling terrorist infrastructure, confirmed in a press conference by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who clarified that India did not target civilian the scenes, India's cyber defence grid was activated, fact-checking units expanded, and social media protocols for military updates tightened. The government also advised citizens to avoid unverified content and rely only on official the misinformation torrent intensified, social media users increasingly turned to AI chatbots for verification, only to find more confusion and falsehoods. Platforms like xAI's Grok, OpenAI's ChatGPT, and Google's Gemini became common go-to tools for instant fact-checking amid the crisis.'Hey @Grok, is this true?' became a viral plea on Elon Musk's platform X, reflecting the surge in users seeking quick debunks. However, these AI assistants often propagated misinformation under renewed criticism for inserting far-right conspiracy theories into unrelated answers, misidentified old video footage from Sudan's Khartoum airport as missile strikes on Pakistan's Nur Khan airbase during the conflict. Similarly, unrelated fire footage from Nepal was wrongly claimed as Pakistani military Sadeghi of the disinformation watchdog NewsGuard warned, 'The growing reliance on Grok as a fact-checker comes as X and other major tech companies have scaled back investments in human fact-checkers. Our research has repeatedly found that AI chatbots are not reliable sources for news and information, particularly when it comes to breaking news.'The Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University found that AI chatbots were 'generally bad at declining to answer questions they couldn't answer accurately, offering incorrect or speculative answers instead.' For instance, AFP fact-checkers in Uruguay asked Google's Gemini about an AI-generated image of a woman; it confirmed the image's authenticity but fabricated details about her identity and digital front of the India-Pakistan standoff reveals the complex landscape of modern warfare, where victory is measured not just in ground gained but in narrative despite the storm of falsehoods, India's response, though understated, was layered, methodical, and largely effective. As the lines between social media warfare and statecraft blur, it's clear that the next great conflict won't just be fought with missiles, but with memes, metadata, and misinformation.
Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
Congress leader Rajesh Soni arrested for Facebook posts on Operation Sindoor, booked under new BNS law
What the police say sparked the arrest Live Events What the charges actually mean (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Rajesh Soni, a senior Congress leader in Gujarat, was arrested early Friday by the state's Cyber Crime Cell over a pair of Facebook posts that police allege endangered national morale and spread misinformation about a major military posts were related to Operation Sindoor, an ongoing mission by the Indian armed forces targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Soni now faces charges under two sections of the recently enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)—sections 152 and 353(1)(a).The FIR, filed by the CID Cyber Crime team on Thursday, cited two Facebook posts made by of them depicted Prime Minister Narendra Modi wearing a fighter pilot uniform in a poster-like image. In another, Soni allegedly claimed that 'the Indian government surrendered during the operation,' an accusation the police say could undermine both the mission and the morale of troops deployed on the of Police (CID-Cyber Crime), Bharatsinh Tank, said, 'Soni was accused of breaking defence personnel's morale and putting India's sovereignty in danger through misleading posts on Facebook.'Tank went on to say, 'We arrested Soni for his posts which could break the armed forces' morale and send a wrong message to soldiers that their contribution and sacrifice on the battlefield will go in vain.'Soni has been charged under Section 152 of the BNS, which deals with acts that endanger the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India. This section carries serious consequences, including up to life imprisonment or a minimum of seven years' jail, plus a second charge—Section 353(1)(a)—relates to statements that could incite public mischief. This legal provision, too, has teeth and signals the government's intent to regulate what it views as provocative or destabilising online behaviour, especially during military arrest did not go unnoticed by Soni's party after news broke, several Congress leaders gathered at the CID's office in Gandhinagar in protest. Leading the charge was Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil, who described the police action as disproportionate and politically said, 'He only tried to highlight that soldiers need to get their due credit instead of the govt spending taxpayers' money on publicity.'He also accused the authorities of cracking down on free expression at a time when the nation should be focusing on supporting its armed forces, not silencing Sindoor has become a national talking point in recent weeks. The Indian military launched the mission with the stated goal of eliminating terror infrastructure in Pakistani territory and PoK. It has been projected by the government as a demonstration of India's zero-tolerance policy towards cross-border the operation has also sparked debates over public narrative management. As the conflict plays out on the ground, its portrayal in digital spaces has become sensitive—especially with a politically charged environment and general elections in government's actions suggest it sees misinformation as a direct threat to the morale of soldiers and the success of such operations. At the same time, critics argue that there is a thin line between national interest and political convenience when it comes to controlling arrest under the new BNS framework could mark a pivotal moment in how India enforces online accountability. It raises difficult questions: Where does one draw the line between political critique and disinformation? Who decides whether a post is morale-breaking or simply provocative?For now, Rajesh Soni remains in custody, his party defiant, and the legal system gearing up for what may become a high-profile case on digital speech and national security.(With inputs from TOI)
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Peace vlogs advance into spy thriller: Mole subscribed to views of Pakistani handlers?
CHANDIGARH : A Pakistani YouTuber who presents himself as apeace activist uniting families divided by Partition is under investigation by Indian authorities for possible links to an alleged espionage ring involving cross-border operatives. Nasir Dhillon, a former police official based in Lahore and the face behind the YouTube channel Punjabi Lehar, is being probed for his alleged association with Indian YouTuber Jasbir Singh, whom Punjab Police had arrested after Operation Sindoor on the charges of spying for Pakistan. Police claim that his Mahlan villager from Punjab's Ropar district met Dhillon on four separate trips to Pakistan after they connected as fellow vloggers. Investigators also claim that Dhillon helped facilitate Jasbir Singh's visa and visits and may have used his influence to enable the repeated cross-border meetings. A senior police officer told TOI: 'Dhillon's name surfaced during Jasbir's interrogation. His contact was among roughly 150 suspicious Pakistani numbers found on Jasbir's mobile phone. The role of Dhillon and his potential link to Pakistani intelligence is under close scrutiny.' Authorities are also examining Jasbir Singh's ties to other suspected operatives, including Shakir 'Jutt Randhawa' — a terror-linked Pakistani intelligence officer — and Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested previously for espionage. Investigators suspect that Jasbir Singh may have deleted sensitive data from his mobile phone before his arrest. A forensic examination of the device is underway to recover any communications with Pakistani handlers. 'We're not concerned about his identity as a content creator or peacebuilder,' said a police official. 'This is a matter of national security. The patterns of his visits and interactions raise serious red flags.' Jasbir Singh, who once worked as a cook in Europe before becoming a YouTuber, reportedly showcased the construction of his house in online videos — raising questions about his income sources. Police are conducting financial inquiries into the funding of his travels, content operations, and declared income. Punjabi Lehar, Dhillon's YouTube channel with 8.4 lakh subscribers, features emotional reunions of families separated since 1947 at the Kartarpur Corridor. It also showcases interviews with Pakistani artists, politicians, and intellectuals. Police argue that this kind of online platforms, while appearing benign, can be exploited by the enemy's spy agencies for influence operations. 'Repeated unrestricted contact between individuals across borders is rare unless sanctioned at higher levels,' said one officer. 'If the roles were reversed — if Dhillon had visited India so frequently — he would have been flagged immediately.' Authorities have not yet released all evidence, but suggest that more disclosures may follow as the investigation progresses.
