10-05-2025
This is how Pakistan targeted India on the internet
With the announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, let's look at some of the key items in Pakistan's disinformation campaign in the run-up to the dtente. The campaign provides an insight into what might have been on Pakistan's agenda against India amid its slew of unsuccessful air raids.1. Sowing discordPakistan-based accounts attempted to cause infighting in India through their disinformation campaign. They shared a video of many people gathered on a farm, and claimed that Sikhs in India had turned against the Indian Army in
The video, however, predates the recent India-Pakistan military escalations that began with India's Operation Sindoor on May 7. Of course, India's covert operation was in retaliation against the April 22 Pahalgam terror video actually shows a clash between the police and protesters over a biogas plant in Ludhiana's Akhara village on April 26. According to The Times of India, on April 26, the police resorted to lathi-charging protestors opposing the setting up of a biogas plant in Akhara. Villagers had reportedly been protesting it for over a year, citing health concerns.2. Fabricating hostagesPakistan-based accounts overwhelmingly spread lies about an Indian Air Force pilot called Shivangi Singh getting captured across the course, that's untrue. For starters, the Press Information Bureau, while referring to a separate video shared with the claim, refuted this outright. It said that an Indian female Air Force pilot 'has NOT been captured'.Indian Female Air Force pilot has NOT been capturedPro-Pakistan social media handles claim that an Indian Female Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Shivani Singh, has been captured in Pakistan.#PIBFactCheckThis claim is FAKE!#IndiaFightsPropaganda@MIB_India PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 10, 2025advertisementSecond, the photo shared with the claim is also old. In June 2023, an IAF training jet crashed in Chamarajanagar near Karnataka's Bhogapura village. According to The Hindu, on June 1, 2023, an Indian Air Force trainer aircraft, Kiran, crashed — but not before both its pilots ejected safely. The pilots were identified by the local police as Tejpal and Bhumika. They both sustained some injuries and were taken to Bengaluru for treatment.3. Fake wins — in video games'Even Bollywood can't deliver such action that the Pakistan Air Force did in real life to India,' wrote Pakistan-based accounts, as they shared a video of a fighter jet doing some rather impressive video does feel like an action film sequence. Because it's most likely from a video game. Clips from the combat simulator ARMA 3 are often mistaken for real incidents — something we have seen in wars, time and video also predates Operation Sindoor and the subsequent skirmishes between India and Pakistan. It was shared by a YouTube account on April 30.
