ISI Runs ‘False Flag’ Propaganda Drive Ahead of Pahalgam Attack Anniversary; Indian Intel on High Alert
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence has launched a coordinated disinformation campaign ahead of the first anniversary of the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, Indian intelligence sources said, accusing India of planning a staged operation to frame Islamabad.
The narrative claiming Indian authorities may manufacture an attack and blame Pakistan, potentially implicating Pakistani nationals held in Indian prisons was drafted by ISI’s Director General-Media, Major General Muhammad Mushtaq Ali, before being seeded into Pakistani newspapers and amplified across social media through bot networks and affiliated accounts, according to intelligence inputs.
Lieutenant General Amer Ahsan Nawaz, commander of X Corps, and ISPR’s DG-Bravo, Major General Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, are said to have overseen the broader dissemination effort, with the Inter-Services Public Relations taking over after initial media placement.
Indian officials note a near-identical pattern from last year, when comparable false flag warnings surfaced weeks before the Pahalgam attack that killed dozens of tourists. Two of the three terrorists subsequently neutralised were found carrying Pakistani Computerised National Identity Cards, directly contradicting Islamabad’s denials of involvement.
In the eleven months since the attack, Indian security forces have eliminated 34 Pakistani terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Over 40 others linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed remain active in the region. Intelligence agencies are also monitoring recent meetings between ISI officers including Punjab Sector Commander Brigadier Rizwan Sharif and operatives from these outfits.
What distinguishes this campaign, officials say, is its institutional scale. ISI’s Analysis Wing coordinates with media and technical directorates to produce unified narratives. ISPR’s Bravo Division executes distribution. A long-running recruitment programme currently running batches reportedly exceeding 8,000 generates and pushes content at volume. Domestic regulatory bodies PEMRA and PTA control the information environment within Pakistan.
Indian security agencies, viewing the campaign as part of a hybrid strategy blending psychological operations with potential ground-level threats, remain on high alert. Officials say such pre-emptive narratives serve a dual purpose: shaping international perception and providing ready-made cover should a terror incident occur.
Indian officials have long accused Pakistan of sponsoring cross-border terrorism, pointing to a string of attacks including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and last year’s Pahalgam massacre charges Islamabad has consistently denied.