The North News
New Delhi, May 10
India has strongly rebuked Pakistan over what it described as a campaign of disinformation and fabricated claims amid escalating cross-border hostilities. In a special press briefing on Saturday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri accused the Pakistani state of spreading “lies, misinformation, and propaganda” about the ongoing conflict.
“These claims, pushed aggressively by Pakistani state agencies, are entirely false,” Misri said, referring to assertions made by Islamabad about successful strikes on Indian military installations. “Allegations of destruction at air force stations in Sirsa and Suratgarh, as well as of an attack on the S-400 base in Adampur, are baseless.”
Pakistan has made “completely ludicrous” accusations, Misri added, including one suggesting Indian military operations had reached Afghanistan. “That is a totally frivolous allegation,” he said. “Afghan people do not need to be reminded which country has, repeatedly over the past year and a half, targeted civilian populations and infrastructure in Afghanistan.”
India’s top diplomat also pointed to the broader pattern of Pakistani provocation. “As I have stated earlier, it is Pakistan that has repeatedly escalated tensions. India’s response has been responsible, restrained, and measured,” he said.
Misri said that Pakistan shelled the Indian border town of Rajouri, killing Additional District Development Commissioner Raj Kumar Thapa. “This is yet another example of Pakistan’s escalating aggression, contributing to civilian casualties and destruction,” he said.
In a pointed remark, Misri also criticised comments from the Pakistani army suggesting that Indian citizens should be turning against their own government. “That is the hallmark of an open and functional democracy,” he said. “If Pakistanis are unfamiliar with such public discourse, that should not come as a surprise.”
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that while India remains committed to non-escalation, it will continue to respond firmly to any threats posed by Pakistan’s military actions or disinformation efforts.
