How Pakistani ministers humiliated themselves and exposed their own lies on global media First Post 18 May 2025
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How Pakistani ministers humiliated themselves and exposed their own lies on global media First Post 18 May 2025
Pak ministers have been running to global media, since Pahalgam, intending to convey their governments viewpoints, desperate to change the anti-Pakistan narrative growing across the globe. While it was understood that Pakistan would play a different narrative for its domestic audience, however its ministers embarrassed themselves when they attempted the same at the global stage.
The first major subject which they sought to highlight was that Pakistan no longer supports terrorists and there are no terrorist camps in the country. However, in the end they either contradicted themselves, or ended up with mud on their faces.
In an interview with Sky News, Pakistan’s defence minister Khwaja Asif admitted that Pakistan had been harbouring terrorists on its soil. He mentioned, ‘Well, we have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades.’ He added, ‘Lashkar-e-Taiba doesn’t exist in Pakistan anymore. It is extinct. It is extinct… if the parent organisation does not exist, how can the offshoot take birth here.’
Bilawal Bhutto echoed Khwaja Asif’s views. In an interview to Sky News he mentioned, ‘I don’t think that it’s a secret that Pakistan has a past as far as extremist groups are concerned.’ He meant it no longer does. No one believed them.
Pakistan’s information minister Attaullah Tarar questioned by Afghanistan born journalist, Yalda Hakim, on Indian armed forces targeting terrorist camps, mentioned, ‘Let me make it very clear, there are no terrorist camps in Pakistan.’ She fact checked him with Khawaja Asif’s statement on the subject in an interview with her itself on the same channel, as also comments by Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto on the subject. He was left red-faced and stammering.
Former Pak minister, Hina Rabbani Khar walked out of a live debate being conducted by UK journalist Piers Morgan where Barkha Dutt was also present. When questioned by the host on the presence of terrorist groups on their soil, she responded, ‘I would reject your last comment (on terrorist groups in Pakistan). Pakistan is the country which is trying to correct the wrongs.’ When grilled by Barkha Dutt with details, she left the show, possibly ashamed at being proved wrong.
The Pak army itself proved its ministers’ comments on not supporting terrorism as lies, when senior officers including Lieutenant General Fayyaz Hussain Shah, a Corps Commander and Maj Gen Rao Imran Sartaj, amongst others, attended funeral prayers of killed LeT terrorists. The prayers were led by LeT leader, Hafiz Abdul Rauf, a UN sanctioned terrorist with a USD 10 million bounty on his head. Terrorist coffins were draped in Pakistan flags, conveying they were accorded a state funeral, which even members of Pakistan’s armed forces do not receive.
The second subject was an international investigation on Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam attack. Khwaja Asif, in an interview to Russian government-run RIA Novosti news agency, said, ‘Let’s find out who is the culprit and the perpetrator of this incident in India, in Kashmir, talk or empty statements have no effect. There must be some evidence that Pakistan is involved or that these people were supported by Pakistan.’
Khwaja Asif subsequently claimed it was a ’false flag operation.’ Shehbaz Sharief backed this claim be mentioning, ‘Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation.’ Not a single nation supported Pakistan’s stand of not being involved. The investigations in the Mumbai terrorist attacks and Pathankot have yet to conclude, this would take a few life times.
At the same time, Ishaq Dar, who doubles as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, termed the terrorists who conducted the attack as ‘freedom fighters.’ It is only Pakistan which terms terrorists operating in Kashmir as freedom fighters. No wonder, not a single western or Middle East nation heeded to Pakistan’s demand of joining an independent investigation.
The third subject was on India’s Operation Sindoor. On 30th Apr, Pakistan’s information minister Attaullah Tarar held a press conference at 2 am mentioning India will attack Pakistan within the next ‘24-36 hours’ claiming ‘credible intelligence.’ Nothing happened for another week. He was left licking his wounds.
Playing to his local audience in a rally Bilawal mentioned, ‘Standing here in Sukkur by the Indus, I want to tell India that the Indus is ours and will remain ours. Either water will flow in this Indus, or their blood will.’ Empty threats and a bunch of lies has been Pakistan’s forte. There is nothing Pakistan can do on the Indus Water Treaty. India held the treaty in abeyance, not suspending it. On this the World Bank has no role.
When questioned on their claim of Pak shooting down five Indian jets, their defence minister, Khawaja Asif mentioned, ‘It is all on social media, and Indian social media, not our social media.’ When quizzed further on proof as social media is not evidence, he responded, ‘I can’t hear you properly.’ Are these the qualities of Pakistan’s famed ministers.
A similar statement was made by their Air Force spokesperson. As proof they displayed an image of an aircraft on fire, which was fact checked to be of a fighter crash of Sep 2024. The story continues within Pak with no global backing. Shares of Rafale are the highest ever, solely because it was a success.
Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UNSC sought a closed-door session hoping to gain their sympathy and support against India, post Pahalgam. The entire incident backfired. The Pak representative, Asim Iftikhar, was grilled on the presence of the LeT on its soil.
The next aspect was of the call for a ceasefire. Pak ministers, including its PM Shehbaz Sharief, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto, amongst others refused to accept that they approached India, claiming it was Trump who brokered the ceasefire. India denied any such intervention.
New Delhi’s silence was enough. The world is aware that in panic, the Pak army chief, Asim Munir, called US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asking for an intervention. He advised Pak to directly interact with India, which it did.
From the time of Pahalgam, Pakistan ministers have attempted to control the damage as also gain global support, by presenting themselves on global media networks. However, have faced a storm of national embarrassment not just over the country’s continued support to terrorism, but also their gaffes on television.
Pak ministers’ gaffes were an embarrassment even within the nation. Pakistan MP Zartaj Gul strongly criticised Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for his recent appearances in international media, describing his behaviour as ‘irresponsible.’ She stated in the senate, ‘If you don’t know English don’t go on international media… don’t mock yourself, don’t mock your government.’
On the contrary, no Indian minister went on global media to brag or defend the Indian decision. That itself gave credence to its actions. In fact, Indian ministers were missing from the media. They were visible in meetings and discussions, never in the media. India did not thump its chest. The PM gave a message of response immediately after Pahalgam and promised a retaliation. He made it clear that armed forces will determine the time, place and level.
It was after Operation Sindoor that the PM re-surfaced and sent a message to the world on India’s ‘new normal’ on dealing with Pakistan and emanating terrorism, in his national address. He stated the truth on Pakistan approaching India for peace out of fear, debunking Trump’s mediation as also Pakistan’s fake claims. It was after this that the India’s defence minister and the EAM surfaced.
India does not need to change global narratives; it already has international support. Pakistan acted like an immature child whose mischief is caught and is compelled to lie to save face.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army
Read ur article with considerable interest and most of the points brought out are supported by credible reports on record. I think one of the subjects we should not bother to discuss is the presence of terrorists in Pakistan because we are quite certain that they are there. Pakistan is dead set to deny it because deniability is a policy of the state. A new red line has been laid by the Prime Minister and we must take the action we militarily think is correct. It is a mulish naivety to make big claims in the face of contrary evidence available everywhere. However the point that I want to make is that in the absence of faster,better decimation of information about the results of the operations a lot of Clutter and confusion is caused by Pakistani social media and their propaganda machine. We require to address this problem. thank you Thapter
Thank you. Absolutely right. We did lose the battle of narratives