An old Greek saying: In war, the first casualty is truth. We saw that casualty unfold in real-time across Indian television screens last night. If you are reading this today, allow me to share — concerning multiple authentic sources — that I am now living what some may call a “second life.” According to India’s mainstream media, my first one ended in the chaos they concocted just last night.
Let me explain.
Zee News reported a “major strike” by India that purportedly wiped Peshawar off the map. Anchors theatrically claimed the city was destroyed and consumed by panic. Gaurav Arya — during live transmission — danced on air, claiming Indian forces had breached the international border. They further alleged that INS Vikrant had leveled Karachi Port and that no one remained alive in the city. Yes, Karachi — my city — was, as per Indian media, gone.
This collective frenzy didn’t stop there. TV9, another mainstream Indian channel, claimed that 25 Pakistani cities had been “cleansed.” According to them, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta — all had vanished. They even claimed the PSL stadium hosting a live match was blown up. Where exactly this fictional stadium exists remains a mystery — perhaps somewhere in a video game? Their coverage resembled the plot of a dystopian simulation rather than journalism.
They asserted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir had “escaped.” Zee News claimed the Prime Minister was hiding in a bunker and promised to reveal his location. They stated, without a shred of evidence, that the Army Chief had been arrested. By whom? Punjab Police, perhaps? No details. No confirmation.
Then came another bizarre claim: that the Baloch Liberation Army had taken over Balochistan. That the province had been “liberated,” and that we would now require visas to enter. Again, this was parroted on repeat, with no verification. Zee News reiterated that Peshawar was gone. Arya, speaking to millions, called for Karachi to be “burned to ashes,” going so far as to suggest the Navy “enjoy the fire.” On what sources? None were cited.
Republic Digital announced the Prime Minister’s residence had been destroyed. India Today boldly declared that Lahore had been “hit.” According to these outlets, by bedtime, Pakistan’s major cities no longer existed. And yet, when dawn broke, Karachi and Lahore remained firmly in place. These aren’t grievances made out of hostility toward India. This is a cry for truth. The Indian citizen’s Right to Information — a cornerstone of any democracy — is being systematically denied by their own media.
Even India’s own Ministry of Defence has cautioned against airing live war-related content due to its potential to mislead and jeopardize national security. Yet the media persisted. They claimed Jammu’s airstrip was blown up — and showed images from Kabul. Falsehoods flooded social media. One influencer claimed two rockets were intercepted en route to the Golden Temple — a claim later debunked by official Indian authorities. Such disinformation is dangerous. It stokes communal tensions. It can incite violence.
What unfolded over the last few nights was a grotesque parody of journalism. The line between fact and fiction vanished. Indian news anchors unleashed a torrent of unfounded allegations, fictional strikes, and manufactured victories. One wonders if they comprehend the repercussions of such recklessness — on both sides of the border. War is not a game. And those standing guard at our borders — Indian or Pakistani — deserve better than to be mocked by newsrooms chasing ratings.
Yet, amidst this chaos, a few voices of reason emerged from within India. Sane citizens took to social media to condemn their own media houses. Even Indian celebrities like Mohit Chauhan tweeted sarcastically that “Aaj Tak has destroyed Karachi Port, Zee Media has destroyed Islamabad, Republic TV has arrested Asim Munir.” They aptly called it “unreal clownery.”
These weren’t Pakistanis speaking. These were Indians, disillusioned by their own fourth estate.
Allegations of peddling fake news for TRPs were leveled — not by outsiders — but by Indian viewers themselves against channels like Times Now, India Today, ABP, Aaj Tak, Republic TV, Zee News, NDTV, India TV, and CNN-IBN. The dishonesty was so brazen that it bordered on farce. Aaj Tak issued an apology — but which of their reports were actually accurate? None were clarified.
The theatrics of newsroom sirens and fabricated war imagery have created a climate where real alarms may go ignored. When the Army sounds an actual siren, how will citizens distinguish it from television drama? Arrests fabricated, airbases destroyed, generals captured — all in the name of “entertainment news.”
There is a quote from George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia that captures this phenomenon perfectly:
“One of the most horrible features of war is that all the war propaganda, all the screaming and lies, and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting.”
Indeed, none of these anchors — not Arnab Goswami, not Gaurav Arya, nor any other television warrior — will ever see a battlefield. They sit in air-conditioned studios, shouting for blood, while soldiers — sons of the soil — are asked to risk their lives for a narrative rooted in fiction.
Even content creators like Dhruv Rathee publicly denounced these media houses, calling them “frauds” who should be boycotted and blocked. The question remains: how did half of Pakistan vanish overnight on Indian television?
Newspaper headlines screamed that the Prime Minister and Army Chief’s bunker had been destroyed. Some aired reports even claimed F-16s and JF-17s had been shot down by IAF. But not one official statement from any Indian Ministry confirmed this. No captured cities. No destroyed airbases. Just fiction and animated illusions created by Indian warmongers.
In contrast, Pakistani news channels and newspapers conducted themselves with restraint and dignity. Their coverage reflected professionalism, adherence to ethical journalism, and above all, responsibility. In moments of national anxiety, they chose integrity over sensationalism.
In these trying times, we must remind ourselves — and others — that the greatest damage disinformation causes is not to one nation, but to the cause of peace, mutual respect, and regional stability. Truth may be the first casualty in war — but let it not be the last.
Written by
Agah Ameer Mukhtiar,
Advocate High Court
Faculty of Law, Politics and Governance
Ziauddin University
