Pakistan unleashes trolls on JK-based Indian military officials, faces heat

Fanning war hysteria, Pakistan has unleashed its army of misinformation creators and ISI-linked trolls to push a narrative that top Indian military officers were penalised for alleged lapses leading to the Pahalgam terror strike – a charge emphatically denied by the establishment in New Delhi on Saturday.

“Pakistan’s latest disinformation spree is a testament to its desperation in the face of India’s measured yet resolute posture against cross-border terrorism. The Indian Armed Forces — anchored in transparency, professional integrity, and constitutional oversight — will not be distracted by propaganda,” said an Indian government functionary.

To counter Pakistan’s propaganda, the Indian cyber watchdogs and establishment have resorted to swift fact-checks to issue prompt denials, blocked Pakistan-origin posts, channels and accounts and dismissed rumours about the mission-readiness of armed forces, he said.

The Indian officials have also noticed a perceptible pattern in the timing and targets of false claims made by Islamabad.

“Each false claim surfaced within hours of New Delhi’s calibrated diplomatic and military signalling after the Pahalgam outrage. Also, senior commanders in charge of intelligence, Northern theatre operations, and air-power employment were singled out to sow doubt about India’s preparedness,” said an official.

Two top officers – one from the Army’s Northern Command and one from the IAF - who were targeted by pro-Pakistan social media handles and identified as officers “shunted” by the Indian government after the Pahalgam attack, in fact, superannuated on April 30 after decades of service. Their successors were also named much before the killing of 26 people in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley on April 22.

In one such false narrative, the Pakistan-based media outlets and trolls alleged that Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency Lieutenant General D.S. Rana was shifted by the Indian government to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands after the Pahalgam attack.

As per official Indian government information, Lieutenant General Rana has been promoted to rank of Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), a prestigious tri-services command from June 1.