ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday rejected two bids from BP Singapore and TotalEnergies for the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG), priced at $17.2848 and $16.98 per million British thermal unit (mmBtu), respectively, for delivery next week and in the last week of the current month.

State-run Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) received a total of seven bids — three cargoes for May 12-14 and four for May 24-26 — against urgent tenders floated a day earlier.

For the first cargo, PetroChina bid $17.69 per mmBtu, BP Singapore $17.28 and Vitol Bahrain $17.84.

For the second cargo (May 24-26), TotalEnergies bid $16.98 per mmBtu, OQ Trading $18.58, SOCAR Trading $17.21 and PetroChina International $17.49.

PLL on Wednesday floated urgent tenders on a 36-hour notice for the import of two LNG cargoes for delivery between May 12-14 and May 24-26 amid rising temperatures and a power shortfall.

The tender was floated following expectations among authorities that the Gulf crisis would ease and the Strait of Hormuz would reopen.

PLL had rejected two bids for these delivery dates last month, while accepting one bid at $18.4 per mmBtu after securing relatively cheaper offers.

Qatar, Pakistan’s long-term LNG supplier, had been reluctant to send LNG-loaded cargoes stranded in the Gulf due to the closure of the strait. Qatar’s three LNG cargoes meant for Pakistan had earlier returned from the waterway due to security reasons.

In April, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) notified a massive 19-22 per cent increase in the price of regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) to $12.50-$14 per mmBtu for sales at the distribution stage by the two Sui gas companies.

The increase was mainly due to higher terminal charges amid lower import volumes and a minor rise in import prices, data from the authority showed.

The basket RLNG price was based on only two cargoes in March, compared to eight cargoes each in February and March, due to a force majeure declared by Qatar.

Both cargoes were imported under two LNG contracts between Pakistan State Oil and QatarGas at an average price of about $7.68 per mmBtu (DES), compared to $7.45 per mmBtu last month, but still significantly lower than $8.9 per mmBtu in March last year.

PLL, one of the public sector entities responsible for LNG imports, did not import any cargo last month. It had, in fact, imported one cargo a few months earlier after a gap of almost a year at about $7.65 per mmBtu through its old contract with a private entity.

The PLL, established almost a decade ago for LNG imports, could not import energy over the past year despite its executives and board of directors enjoying hefty remuneration and associated perks and privileges. It had last floated and LNG tender in December 2023 for delivery in January 2024 but later cancelled the tender.

Facing criticism over loadshedding even before the beginning of summer, the Power Division had already placed an order with the Petroleum Division last week to arrange around 400 million mmcfd of LNG for power generation, amid hopes of the opening of international supply routes.

LNG imports had stopped in March after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following US-Israel attacks on Iran, which, in retaliation, targeted fuel installations in neighbouring countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, among others. Subsequently, Qatar declared force majeure early last month on all its global LNG contracts, including those with Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday received a telephone call from Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

During their “warm and cordial” conversation, the two leaders held a productive exchange of views on the current regional situation.

Both sides reaffirmed their strong commitment to facilitating ongoing efforts to ensure lasting peace in the region, according to an official press release by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Recalling his recent visit to Doha on April 16, the prime minister said that his meeting with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the rest of the Qatari leadership was “most helpful” in forging a consensus for the peace efforts.

He noted that the people of Pakistan were looking forward to a visit from the emir of Qatar at a convenient date, adding that the visit would help to further strengthen bilateral ties between the countries.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s premier expressed deep appreciation for Pakistan’s continued efforts to bring peace and stability to the region, the PMO added.

The Qatari premier assured PM Shehbaz that Doha would continue to support the diplomatic efforts spearheaded by Pakistan to ensure the security and stability of the Middle East.

“Both leaders agreed to maintain close communication and coordination on all issues of mutual interest,” the PMO said.

PM Shehbaz also posted about the call on X, saying that he conveyed his gratitude to his “dear brother, the emir of Qatar” for his leadership, as well as for Qatar’s continued support for Pakistan’s efforts to “advance regional peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy”.

The premier had also met Qatar’s emir in February while on an official visit to Doha, saying that the two countries would continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.

During the same visit, he held a meeting with the Qatari premier, where the two discussed regional issues, including developments in Gaza and broader Gulf security dynamics.

Pakistan initially positioned itself as a facilitator in the peace process between Tehran and Washington after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, setting off a conflict that gave rise to a global fuel crisis. Later, the White House and Iran acknowledged it as the “sole mediator” in the process.

The first round of historic direct US-Iran talks, held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, ended without an agreement, but also without a breakdown, as a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire was then extended indefinitely by US President Donald Trump.

While Pakistan’s leadership is seeking to bring the US and Iran back to the negotiating table, an impasse remains.

ISLAMABAD: PTI said that preparations for the final round of its movement against Imran Khan’s imprisonment had begun, as Adiala jail authorities again denied permission to meet the party founder on Thursday.

PTI leaders, including Khurram Virk, Naseem Ali Shah, Zahir Shah, Rajab Abbasi, Zar Aalam and Rubina Shaheen, reached Adiala jail but were not allowed to meet Imran Khan until the end of visiting hours.

Zahir, talking to the media, said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had announced preparations for the final round of the movement against the imprisonment of the PTI founder.

He said that as soon as directions were received from the party founder, the movement would move forward, adding that the struggle had not yet ended.

“Obstacles are deliberately created, resulting in serious damage to the judiciary, and that is why court orders to arrange a meeting with Imran Khan are not being implemented,” Zahir said.

“The attacks on state institutions have weakened them significantly,” he added.

Zahir emphasised that Pakistan must not be subjected to such political turmoil, stating that the country belongs to 250 million people.

He added that in democratic societies around the world, rallies and public gatherings were held in support of political leaders.

“The conditions in which the party founder is being kept in prison amount to an insult to the people, democracy, and democratic institutions,” he stated.

Speaking to the media, MNA Naseem said that, as per the Constitution, legislators cannot be stopped from visiting jails.

He said it was unfortunate that Imran was kept in solitary confinement, and demanded that he be shifted to hospital.

Bushra Bibi’s hospital transfer

Meanwhile, PTI expressed grave concern and outrage over reports that Bushra Bibi was suddenly and secretly taken to a hospital in the middle of the night and then returned to jail without informing her family, lawyers or the party.

In a statement, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said it was deeply regrettable that a female prisoner, who was also the wife of a former prime minister, was being deprived of basic human and medical rights despite her health condition deteriorating with each passing day.

“The government is setting dangerous precedents in the country, as the rulers show neither respect for the Constitution and the law nor for women’s rights and dignity.”

Akram stated that the entire matter was “shrouded in mysterious and unusual secrecy, marked by a lack of transparency and serious human rights violations,” which had raised countless questions in the minds of the public.

He lamented why the nation was not being kept informed about the PTI founder’s illness and that of his wife.

“If her condition had deteriorated to the extent that she had to be taken urgently to hospital in the middle of the night, why were her family, lawyers and the party kept in the dark?” he questioned.

Countries worldwide sought to prevent further spread of the hantavirus on Thursday, after an outbreak ​on a cruise ship, by tracking those who had already disembarked before the virus was detected and anyone in close contact with them since.

Three ‌people — a Dutch couple and a German national — died in the outbreak on the MV Hondius.

In total, five people are confirmed to have contracted the virus, with another three suspected cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

Hantavirus is usually spread by rodents, but can, in rare cases, be transmitted person-to-person.

All passengers who disembarked in St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, where the ship made a stop on April 24, have ​been contacted, the ship’s operator said, adding this included people from at least 12 countries, among them seven British citizens and six from the US The ​first confirmed case of hantavirus in this outbreak came in early May.

‘This is not Covid’

The WHO repeated that the risk to the ⁠general public was “low” even if the Andean strain of the virus, found in several victims, can, in rare cases, be transmitted among humans.

“This is not coronavirus, this is a ​very different virus,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO director of epidemic and pandemic management, told a press conference. “This is not the same situation we were in six years ago.”

The WHO said ​it was working on step-by-step guidance for when the dozens of passengers remaining on the ship, which is sailing to the Canary Islands, arrive there on Saturday or Sunday and the passengers disembark and travel home. None of these passengers currently has any symptoms.

Contact tracing, monitoring

The United States’ Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was closely monitoring the situation, adding that the risk to the American public was ​extremely low at the time.

The Georgia Department of Public Health said it was monitoring two asymptomatic residents who had returned home after disembarking from the cruise ship.

The Arizona Department ​of Health Services said it was monitoring one resident, who was also on the ship, and was not symptomatic.

According to the New York Times, California was monitoring a number of residents who ‌had been ⁠on the ship.

One French citizen has been in contact with a person who had fallen ill but was not showing symptoms, officials said.

Contact tracing

Oceanwide Expeditions said they were now working to establish details of all passengers and crew who embarked and disembarked on various stops since March 20.

The Dutch couple who have died, and who are believed to be the first hantavirus cases of this outbreak, only boarded on April 1.

Dutch airline KLM said it had taken the Dutch woman off a plane in Johannesburg on April 25 due to ​her deteriorating medical condition. She died before ​she could reach the Netherlands.

According to broadcaster ⁠RTL, a KLM stewardess who had been in contact with her has now been admitted to a hospital in Amsterdam after showing possible hantavirus symptoms.

Crew and passengers who helped the Dutch woman who passed away are being called daily for health checks, Dutch authorities ​told public broadcaster NOS.

Evacuations, tests

Three patients were evacuated from the ship on Wednesday. Two have been admitted to a hospital in ​the Netherlands, while another ⁠one was transferred to Germany for medical care.

Martin Anstee, an expedition guide, was one of the two evacuees in hospital in the Netherlands, according to Sky News, and told them he was “doing okay” but “there are still lots of tests to be done”.

The Düsseldorf University Clinic, treating the German evacuee, said she was not a confirmed case but rather a contact and was undergoing ⁠tests.

In Switzerland, a ​person admitted to the hospital on Monday was stable but showed symptoms consistent with a hantavirus infection, the ​hospital said.

A Danish citizen who was aboard the Hondius has returned home and has been advised to self-isolate as a precaution, Danish health authorities said.

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Thursday set aside Section 7E of the Income Tax Ordinance (ITO) 2001 as ultra vires the Constitution, which had empowered tax authorities to levy tax on “deemed income” from assets and properties.

Having a significant impact on the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) property taxation, Section 7E was introduced through the Finance Act, 2022, for the tax year 2023.

It provided for taxation on deemed or notional income arising from ownership of certain immovable properties, subject to specified exemptions relating to personal residences, agricultural land, and other exempt categories recognised under the statutory framework.

The Finance Act 2022 had imposed tax on the “deemed income” of taxpayers holding immovable property worth over Rs25 million. The provision taxed such property at five per cent of its FBR-defined fair market value, subject to a 20 per cent tax rate, resulting in an effective annual tax of one per cent on the capital value of undeveloped or non-rented properties.

“Having heard the learned counsel for the parties at considerable length and upon due deliberation, we are persuaded to hold that Section 7E of ITO, 2001, is ultra vires the Constitution and is accordingly struck down, being void ab initio,” said a short order announced in an open court by a two-judge FCC bench consisting of FCC Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi.

The detailed reasons will be recorded separately, the judgment said.

The FCC, however, converted the civil petitions filed by a number of taxpayers against the judgments of the Sindh High Court (SHC) and the Lahore High Court (LHC) into appeals and allowed them.

However, the civil petitions filed by the FBR and the Commissioner Inland Revenue (CIR) against the judgments of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) and the Balochistan High Court (BHC) were dismissed.

Consequently, all actions, proceedings, and notices initiated or taken by the FBR under Section 7E were declared to be without lawful authority and set aside, the short order explained.

The insertion of Section 7E in ITO was assailed before all the provincial high courts, including the Islamabad High Court (IHC), on constitutional grounds.

The PHC and BHC declared the impugned provision to be ultra vires the Constitution and struck it down. The IHC did not invalidate the provision in its entirety, and read it down to declare subsection (2) to be ultra vires the Constitution.

Against the judgment of the single judge of the IHC, Intra-Court Appeals (ICA) were pending before the division bench of IHC in addition to two writ petitions, which were requisitioned through an April 6, 2026, order in the light of Article 175E (5) of the Constitution after the 27th Amendment. These were transferred to the FCC.

One LHC judge allowed the writ petitions; however, the said judgment was reversed in ICAs by a division bench, which allowed the appeals and dismissed the petitions. The SHC similarly dismissed the constitutional petitions.

Consequently, the taxpayers assailed the judgments of the LHC and the SHC, whereas the federal government, FBR and CIR challenged the judgments rendered by the PHC, BHC and IHC.

The petitions had challenged the provision on the grounds that it imposed tax on deemed income irrespective of actual accrual or receipt of income.

Counsel for the petitioners during the hearing argued that the provision effectively amounted to a property tax disguised as income tax, thereby exceeding Parliament’s legislative competence under Article 77 read with Entry 47 of the Federal Legislative List.

The petitions had contended that the provision created artificial income without realisation and violated Article 25 of the Constitution by introducing arbitrary classifications among taxpayers.

On the other hand, the federation defended Section 7E as a valid fiscal measure intended to broaden the tax base and address untaxed economic capacity.

They argued that deemed income was a recognised legal fiction in taxation jurisprudence and fell within Parliament’s constitutional authority to levy taxes on income.

ISLAMABAD: The government decided in principle to grant commercial banks significant powers to take over mortgaged houses in case of default after a cumulative notice period of 90 days, in a move aimed at encouraging lending to the housing sector.

The proposed foreclosure law to amend “The Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) Ordinance, 2001”, currently under review by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, provides that where a customer defaults on payment of mortgage dues, the financial institution may issue three notices of 30 days each, “demanding payment of the outstanding mortgage amount”.

“In case of default in payment by a customer after service of the final (third) notice, the financial institution may proceed with the sale of the housing unit, provided that all notices have been duly served upon the mortgagor, who has remained in default of payment of mortgage dues or any part thereof.”

The Standing Committee on Finance, which held a meeting in Islamabad on Thursday and was presided over by former finance minister Syed Naveed Qamar, raised serious reservations over the drastic conditions apparently favouring commercial banks over customers.

The committee “expressed concerns over provisions that could potentially grant banks excessive powers in the foreclosure process,” it said in a written statement at the conclusion of the meeting.

Members of the panel emphasised that while an effective legal framework was essential to promote mortgage financing and safeguard the interests of lending institutions, adequate legal protections and due process must also be ensured to protect borrowers from arbitrary or unfair actions.

After detailed deliberations, the committee deferred the bill to its next meeting, directing the secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Works to circulate the revised draft of the bill to all members for further review and input before its finalisation in the next meeting.

Qamar said that affordable housing finance must genuinely serve deserving low-income families through transparent, accountable and inclusive mechanisms, and stressed the urgent need for robust foreclosure and recovery laws to strengthen Pakistan’s underdeveloped mortgage finance sector and enhance the confidence of financial institutions in expanding long-term housing finance.

The federal secretaries of finance, housing and works, and law and justice, also briefed the committee members on the Prime Minister Apna Ghar Programme (PM-AGP), its implementation framework, and proposed reforms relating to housing finance and foreclosure laws.

The secretary of the housing ministry, Captain (retd) Mehmood Ahmad, told the meeting that the PM-AGP was a subsidised housing finance initiative aimed at enabling low and middle-income families to own homes, while promoting economic activity and revitalising the construction sector.

Approved in August 2025 and revised in March 2026, the scheme offers financing of up to Rs10 million for first-time homeowners at a fixed markup rate of 5pc, repayable over 20 years with a 90:10 financing ratio.

As of April 30, 2026, a total of 25,304 applications had been received, of which 8,990 applications involving Rs37.154bn were approved, while Rs5.071bn had been disbursed to 1,845 beneficiaries.

The meeting was also informed that Pakistan’s housing finance sector remained underdeveloped, with mortgage financing contributing only 0.3 per cent to the GDP and 0.56pc to total private sector credit.

The government had, therefore, set a target of financing 500,000 housing units over the next four years, requiring an estimated Rs3.2tr in financing.

Responding to a question, Finance Secretary Imdadullah Bosal said the government did not have Rs3.2tr worth of fiscal space, but given the prime minister’s priority initiative, the funding would have to be arranged through various fiscal adjustments. He said there was also a need to review all subsidy schemes, adding that the Public Sector Development Programme may have to be curtailed further if necessary.

The government team emphasised that reforms in foreclosure and recovery laws were essential to reduce risks for banks, enhance investor confidence and ensure sustainable growth of the mortgage finance sector.

The committee observed that Pakistan’s housing finance sector remained significantly underdeveloped, requiring structural reforms, improved foreclosure and recovery laws and a more conducive regulatory environment to encourage banks and financial institutions to expand mortgage lending.

The panel was unanimous in expressing concerns regarding the limited outreach of housing finance facilities to low-income and marginalised communities, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

It also questioned the preparedness and institutional capacity of banks and financial institutions to achieve the ambitious target of financing 500,000 housing units within four years, given the presently underdeveloped mortgage finance ecosystem in the country.

The committee recommended that the government and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) introduce simplified financing procedures, flexible eligibility criteria, and enhanced subsidy support for low-income and informal-sector households in order to improve accessibility and affordability of the scheme.

The law secretary told the panel that the proposed amendments to “The Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finance) Amendment Act, 2026” introduced several structural changes in light of stakeholders’ feedback. These included the insertion of a new Section 15A, specifically dealing with housing finance, instead of applying the provisions broadly to all mortgage deeds.

He said that the revised draft provided extended notice periods in cases of mortgage default, with the first three notices now carrying a 30-day period each, amounting to a total of 90 days before further proceedings. In addition, a new proviso has been included enabling financial institutions, at any stage prior to the sale of mortgaged property, to reschedule, restructure, or settle outstanding mortgage liabilities.

The law secretary also said the proposed changes provided for timely recovery, fair treatment of mortgagors and effective enforcement of secured interests, while ensuring efficiency and transparency in the recovery process.

Cambridge International Education (CIE) on Thursday cancelled the “prematurely shared” mathematics exam, announcing that it will conduct a new version of the exam for affected regions on June 9.

On April 30, CIE confirmed that its AS-level mathematics paper was “shared prematurely” against its regulations. It said that the exam paper was for the Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Pakistan and South Asia regions.

CIE, in a statement, said that “Cambridge’s senior assessment experts have decided that a new version of the Mathematics (9709/12) exam paper will be sat by all candidates in the affected regions”.

CIE noted that the previous exam paper could not be used to award final exam results and “will not be used to generate results through calculated assessment”.

As per the statement, the replacement exam will “ensure fair outcomes for students and deliver grades that are trusted by universities and other stakeholders”.

CIE announced that the new exam will take place on June 9 (Tuesday), “as part of the June series timetable”.

“This approach aligns with the views of many school leaders we have consulted,” the statement said.

“We are committed to making the replacement examination process as straightforward as possible,” added CIE.

The UK-based examination board further stated that there will be no additional charge for the candidates or the school, and the result date — August 11 — remained unchanged.

“We will share detailed information with you about when and how you will receive question papers by May 15, and the steps you must follow to run the replacement question paper, as well as frequently asked questions,” the statement said.

“This will include information on withdrawals from June 2026 and entries for November 2026.”

The examination body also acknowledged how “frustrating and disappointing” the development has been for students and their families.

“Students work incredibly hard to prepare for and take exams, and we value the trust placed in us to deliver fair results at the end of the exam process,” CIE said.

It further said that Cambridge International was conducting an “active investigation” into the matter.

“We are working closely with relevant law enforcement agencies and other partners to identify those responsible,” the statement said.

Cambridge imposes strict sanctions on anyone found to have shared or misused confidential exam materials, including permanent disqualification from Cambridge qualifications and exams, said the statement.

The examination body added that they “regularly” receive false news of reports of paper leaks; however, it added that “the majority of them are false”.

The examination board elaborated that it routinely monitored “social media and other online channels for posts offering to share or sell question papers”.

It added that CIE worked with social media platforms to “identify and remove such content”.

“Our legal and compliance teams investigate every credible report, and we take robust legal action against those involved in the illegal sharing,” CIE said, stressing that it is not the policy to “comment on individual reports of paper leaks” and that it instead updates schools.

“Our priority is to ensure that students are not disadvantaged by the wilful malpractice of a few,” CIE said, encouraging students to focus on their remaining examinations.

Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood has expressed confidence in the bowling attack as the national side prepares to face Bangladesh in the first Test of the two-match series in Mirpur on Friday.

The Green Shirts are visiting Bangladesh for a Test series after being whitewashed on home soil by the Bengal Tigers in August 2024. The visitors had won the two-match series by 10 wickets and six wickets respectively in Rawalpindi.

Addressing the pre-series press conference on Thursday, Masood said, “We are fully focused on this series and the challenge of playing Bangladesh in their own conditions.”

He also put the weight on the home side’s “quality in all departments”.

Masood said that the team is looking forward to “testing” itself against its hosts.

“We have selected a well-balanced squad that can perform in different conditions. The players have experience of playing in seam-friendly as well as spin-friendly environments, so we are confident about the options available to us,” he said.

“In Test cricket, taking 20 wickets remains the key to success.”

“We have confidence in our bowling attack and the team combination. If we perform well collectively in batting, bowling and fielding, we can achieve good results in this series,” he added.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto insisted his side must post big first-innings totals to give their potent pace attack the platform to take 20 wickets.

“The important thing is scoring runs. If we score 400 in 80 overs, no problem. If someone takes 120 overs, I also have no problem,” Shanto said.

Shanto believed his fast bowlers hold a slight edge over Pakistan’s attack.

Bangladesh have bolstered their batting with the inclusion of attacking opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim, while Taskin Ahmed returns from injury to strengthen an already experienced pace unit alongside the exciting Nahid Rana.

Pakistan will take confidence from Babar Azam’s rich run of form in the recent HBL Pakistan Super League 2026.

However, there was uncertainty in Pakistan’s camp on Thursday after Babar underwent a scan following the team’s practice session, with his fitness for the series opener yet to be confirmed.

Schedule

1. 1st Test, Pakistan vs Bangladesh, May 8 to 12, Mirpur, 9am.
2. 2nd Test, Pakistan vs Bangladesh, May 16 to 20, Sylhet, 9am.

Pakistan Squad

Shan Masood (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Bangladesh Squad

Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque Showrab, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicket-keeper), Litton Kumer Das (wicket-keeper), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Tanzid Hasan and Amite Hasan.

Two separate attacks in South Waziristan on Thursday killed three children and injured several people, security sources said.

According to reports, an explosion occurred near a civilian settlement in the Gawa Khwa area of South Waziristan, while mortar shells were also fired at civilians by Afghan Taliban forces in the border tehsil of Angoor Adda.

The explosion, they said, was caused after “Fitna al Khawarij hid cylinders filled with explosives near a house in a nearby settlement”.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

“Three innocent children of a family were martyred and several people were injured” as a result of the explosion, the security sources said, noting that the victims were a 15-year-old boy and two girls of eight and seven years old.

Security sources added that those injured in the attack were immediately taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Wana.

Locals expressed deep grief and anger over the tragic incident and said that the terrorists were once again targeting unarmed and innocent civilians.

The security sources noted that “khawarij elements have been targeting the general population, children and women in South Waziristan and adjacent areas in the past as well”.

“Khawarij and their facilitators are continuously shedding the blood of innocent civilians to achieve their nefarious goals; however, such cowardly attacks cannot dampen the morale of the people,” they added.

Separately, in Angoor Adda, Afghan Taliban forces fired three mortar shells at a market near the Durand Line, injuring 10 people, according to the security sources.

“Three mortar shells hit the Ghazi Rehman Hotel and shops nearby,” they said.

The injured were immediately shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital, where their condition is reported to be critical.

The security sources termed the incident “not only a violation of international laws but also a clear violation of human rights”.

“This aggression by the Afghan Taliban is the biggest threat to peace and stability in the region,” they said, adding that “the Afghan Taliban and their affiliated terrorist elements have always targeted the common people to achieve their nefarious goals”.

“Pakistan’s priority is peace, stability and relations based on mutual respect, but Pakistan’s commitment to the security of its borders and people is unwavering, and this is the hallmark of a responsible state,” they added.

There has been a resurgence in terrorism in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Taliban to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded.

The military’s media affairs wing said last week that 13 Indian-sponsored terrorists were killed in two foiled infiltration attempts along the Pak-Afghan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Last month, four terrorists were killed and a police constable martyred in separate incidents in KP’s Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts.

Earlier in April, two children and a woman were killed and three others injured when mortar shells fired from across the Afghan border hit a house in Bajaur, security sources said.

LAHORE: At least four children were killed and 20 people were injured after the roof of a classroom at a private school in Punjab’s Dera Ghazi Khan collapsed on Thursday.

The preliminary report of the incident released by the district administration confirmed the number of casualties. The injured include 16 students, two teachers and as many labourers, according to the report, which is available with Dawn.

It said the incident was reported around noon, following which rescue personnel and ambulances were sent to the site. Initial responders reached the site “in four minutes”, it added.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmad also told Dawn that rescue and district administration officials, along with local residents, participated in the rescue operation to pull out the students and teachers from under the rubble.

District Education Authority Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Waqas Gill told Dawn that he was also present at the site while the rescue and search operation was under way.

He said all the injured were taken to nearby hospitals.

According to the district administration’s report, probe had revealed that construction for an extension of the school’s building was under way when the roof of the classroom collapsed.

The roof of the room was overloaded as sand and bricks were placed on it, the report said, adding that “the roof could not bear the load and resultantly collapsed”.

Prior to the release of the report, CEO Gill had assured that the incident would be investigated and action would be taken against the school administration for “allegedly compromising students’ safety by carrying out construction work during school hours”.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has also taken notice of the incident and sought a report from the authorities concerned.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Thursday that Pakistan was “prepared” as he highlighted the armed forces’ indigenous military capabilities.

He made the remarks while addressing a press conference in Islamabad as the nation commemorated the one-year anniversary of Marka-i-Haq. The deputy chief of naval staff (operations), Rear Admiral Shifaat Ali, and the deputy chief of air staff (projects), Air Vice Marshal Tariq Ghazi, were also present alongside him.

Last year’s military conflict with India, starting from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the end of Pakistan’s Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, with a ceasefire ending a military escalation between the two countries on May 10, has been called “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth) by the state.

“We welcome you to ISPR on this happy day,” he said at the outset of his presser, congratulating the nation on the one-year anniversary of Marka-i-Haq.

He said that the country’s armed forces had risen to the nation’s expectations and defeated a much larger enemy with multi-domain operations.

“Today, we are not going to dwell a lot on what happened … We are going to spend more time from May 2025 to May 2026,” he said, adding that they would expand on the “strategic consequences” of the conflict.

Strategic consequences of Marka-i-Haq

He said that there were 10 strategic consequences of Marka-i-Haq, the first of which was that the Indian narrative of painting Pakistan as a source of terrorism stood buried.

He said that an attempt had been made to portray, without evidence, that Pakistan had perpetrated terrorism in India. He said that it had been one year since the Pahalgam incident, yet the questions that Pakistan had asked remain unanswered.

“Where is the evidence?” he asked. “Nobody buys this … you are the biggest terrorist. Nobody listens to them, nobody believes them,” he said.

He said that the second consequence was the consolidation of Pakistan as the net security stabiliser in the region. He said that Marka-i-Haq showed who was controlling and dominating the escalation, adding that India escalated the conflict based on a lie.

The DG ISPR said the “biggest ambassador of security in the region” was Pakistan and its leadership.

Coming to the third strategic consequence of Marka-i-Haq, he said it was related to “our eastern neighbour, unfortunately”, saying it was the “politicisation of Indian military leadership and militarisation of Indian political leadership.”

“This is what’s happening over there”, he said, adding that India’s military, which used to be professional, had “unfortunately been politicised”.

“You will come across several examples of this,” he added. “You heard their air chief marshal a few months after Marka-i-Haq … [saying] ‘I got to know today that even we downed some planes’ … That is politicisation of the military leadership … Why are you trying to make jokers out of your admirals, and generals and marshal? Don’t do that.”

On the other hand, the DG ISPR continued, “We have placed the facts as they are.”

Moreover, he said, Indian politicians appeared more like “warmongers”, going by their statements. The DG ISPR asserted that the politicisation of the military and militarisation of politics was “dangerous”.

Moving on to the fourth strategic consequence, he said it was the global acknowledgement of India’s efforts to externalise its internal problems and internalise its external problems while using terrorism as a state tool.

He said India’s problems included the repression of minorities and Kashmiris. This, he said, “comes from a false sense of entitlement and this hubristic attitude”.

The DG ISPR said India did not want to solve its internal issues, and hence, was externalising them by levelling allegations that Pakistan was behind terrorism in the neighbouring country. He said these issues needed to be addressed “politically and internally”.

“Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute,” he said. “It’s not your internal problem for you to make demographic changes there … you cannot do that.”

He reiterated the allegations India was backing terrorism in Pakistan, further stating that “they were even behind terrorism in their own country and would then accuse others”.

But, he added, what changed after Marka-i-Haq was that the world recognised how they operated.

He said the fifth consequence was the “exposure of the true face of the Indian media and its discredited information operations”. The DG ISPR also noted that Indian authorities had started “shutting down Pakistani media” during Marka-i-Haq and this practice was still ongoing.

But that did not solve the problem, he said, adding that his advice to India was to speak the truth.

“That’s what Pakistan did … The only thing that can survive in today’s information domain is the truth. Tell people the truth. But somehow the Indians think they can work their [way] around lies. It doesn’t work anymore.”

He said the sixth consequence was the “transformed character of warfare”. Elaborating on this, he said this covered multi-domain operations, non-contact warfare, synergy, proxies and information.

The DG ISPR explained that warfare was not limited to borders anymore. “It’s [fought] on land, in the sea, in the air, in cyberspace … and in the minds. It’s cognitive as well.”

He said Pakistan’s armed forces were prepared to fight against India during Marka-i-Haq in all those domains. “We were prepared back then, and we are prepared today as well.”

The seventh consequence, he said, was Pakistan’s proven potential and the resilience to combat multifaceted challenges. The eighth was the loud and clear establishment of deterrence, he said.

“Anyone who thinks there is space for war between two nuclear neighbours is crazy. That is madness. Only a madman can think about. You want to do it, then there should be no doubt about our resolve,” he said.

He said that the ninth consequence was that Pakistan was recognised as a geopolitically significant and responsible middle power. He said that the last, but most important consequence, was the unshakeable synergy between the people, the government and the armed forces, “which we call the Bunyanum Marsoos effect”.

Surge in terrorism post-Marka-i-Haq

During the press conference, he also presented figures on counterterrorist efforts post-Marka-i-Haq. He said that India was given a “lesson of their life” and they fell back on their default option, which was terrorist proxies.

“We saw a surge in terrorist incidents post-Marka-i-Haq,” he said, showing the figures on the screen. He said that in October, Pakistan struck terrorist support infrastructures in neighbouring Afghanistan. He said that the number of incidents subsequently went down.

He reiterated that terrorism in Pakistan was being carried out by India and Afghanistan was being used as a base of operations.

“You saw who India called after they were taught a lesson in Marka-i-Haq. The Afghan Taliban regime’s so-called foreign minister,” he said.

During his press conference, the DG ISPR also played clips of Indian media, saying, “The field marshal and Pakistan; I think they feature in their dreams day and night. They need to grow up.”

‘Homegrown’ military capabilities

After multiple videos were played, the DG ISPR said they had presented an overview of “what our dear neighbour has been doing” over the past year. He added that he would also go on to detail what Pakistan had been doing during this period.

He recalled that during a press conference on May 11, 2025, he had stated that Pakistan’s military capability seen during Marka-i-Haq was just 10 per cent of the armed forces’ power potential.

“We are prepared; if anyone wishes to test us, they are more than welcome,” he said after a video showing the armed forces’ prowess played on the screen.

He added that the clips displayed Pakistan’s indigenous military capabilities. “This is homegrown.”

These included surface-to-air missiles; cruise missiles; the establishment of Army Rocket Force Command; main battle tanks; long-range artillery; ship-launched anti-ship missiles; UAVs, quadcopters and drones; short, medium and long-range anti-drone systems; loitering munitions; electro-optical satellites; and an integrated artillery fire control system.

The military spokesperson highlighted the significance of security in the world today, adding that “when we say that the armed forces, with the support of the people of Pakistan, will defend Pakistan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty at all costs, we mean it. And we will do it, come what may.”

However, he added, this operational preparedness, military capability and technical prowess would not be meaningful if it was not backed by the resolve and the strategic clarity of the leadership.

After several videos had played, he highlighted Pakistan’s emergence as a regional player and net security provider.

“We are not seeking conflict, we are not seeking war. But we know how to defend ourselves with honour and dignity,” he said. At the conclusion of the presentation, the national anthem played.

‘Historic and memorable conflict’

Rear Admiral Ali then addressed the press conference, saying that Marka-i-Haq was a “historic and memorable” conflict. He said that prior to the conflict, the “enemy prided itself on its naval capability”.

“Their navy used to consume a big share of their defence budget, there were claims of ‘Made in India’; they were self-proclaimed net security providers and there was the status of blue water navy,” he said.

He said, however, that the question remained as to why their naval force was unable to “muster the courage against Pakistan”.

He added that the Indian navy tried to deploy its vessels in the northern Arabian Sea during Marka-i-Haq.

“And the only purpose behind this move was to target our naval assets and inflict economic harm on us by disrupting our naval trade and waterways.

“But due to the effective strategy of the Pakistan Navy, [traffic] in all our waterways remained uninterrupted, our instalments remained protected and ports remained operational,” he added.

Rear Admiral Ali said the Pakistan Navy continued to surveil the enemy’s activity through its modern system during Marka-i-Haq.

“The Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) were prepared to destroy Indian aircraft carrier Vikrant,” he recalled, adding that, however, the Indian navy did not move beyond its sanctuaries.

“We want peace, but that is not our weakness. We are not negligent towards our preparation … for any eventuality that may befall us,” he said.

‘Tally is at 8-0’

Air Vice Marshal Ghazi also addressed the presser. He said the national leadership decided on a direction, and subsequently, the tri-service plans were coordinated under the guidance of the field marshal.

He said that the PAF had to do two things immediately: a strong defensive air posture and implement the highest alert level. He said that PAF integrated its multi-domain assets in preparation and added that the Indian Air Force initially carried out aggressive deployments and tried to conceal critical systems.

He said that the enemy, however, was forced to recompose its force composition, revealing “what we had been looking for”.

Talking about the armed forces’ preparation, he said, “The enemy remained oblivious of our preparations”.

He said that the PAF’s defensive posture meant that “our aerial sovereignty was impregnable”.

Air Vice Marshal Ghazi also said that after India attacked, PAF’s defensive posture transformed into an offensive posture.

“The killers embedded into PAF’s packages started targeting their topline fighters,” he said, adding that “we are now at eight-zero”.

The air force official elaborated that during the air battle, Pakistan fought “aggressively, but responsibly”.

“In that intense BVR vs BVR (beyond visual range) fight, with multi-domain interplay, we were able to curtail the enemy and its capability to apply itself as a network and integrated force package,” he explained.

AVM Ghazi said the “confirmed kills” included four Rafales, one Su-30, one MiG-29, one Mirage 2000 and an “expensive multi-role unmanned aerial system”.

The senior PAF official noted that a number of aircraft were also damaged and some of them remained unrecoverable.

Ghazi said from the PAF’s integrated command centre, Air Chief Marshal Sidhu let this operation “flawlessly”.

“The way it was choreographed — it was an exceptionally synchronised operation. The enemy’s massive offensive was converted into a crippling, I should say, ambush for their high-tech fighters.”

“So this spectacular performance shocked the enemy, and the outcome was unprecedented and also inconceivable for the IAF,” he added.

He said, “The IAF was not to be seen in the air for the rest of the conflict.”

AVM Ghazi said the PAF also curtailed India’s pre-emption on May 10, while the digital space was also being disrupted.

“Our killer drones, stand-off long-range and hypersonic vectors struck 16 air bases, key operational infrastructure of strong military relevance, BrahMos sites, critical command and control centres, including the one at Barnala and two of their most prized S-400 batteries.”

The airstrike on Indian S-400 batteries was carried out by indigenously manufactured JF-17 Block III aircraft.

Shedding further light on the PAF’s dominance during the conflict, the AVM said the air force had “dominance” and the PAF was “targeting them all across and at will”.

“PAF’s response was overwhelming and shocking for the adversary.”

“Marka-i-Haq has established one thing that is very close to our hearts — the prowess of PAF’s homegrown kill chain, which had integrated all operational elements into a single formidable force.”

Further elaborating on PAF’s operations during Marka-i-Haq, he said it was the first time in the history of warfare that full-spectrum, multi-spectrum operations were demonstrated.

“Marka-i-Haq provides a classical case study for air warfare experts.”

He added that with India’s power and transport infrastructure disrupted, critical installations crippled, modern Rafales shot down, S-400 batteries neutralised, and IAF grounded, “the enemy was, in effect, out of options” during Marka-i-Haq.

“We recognise that this won’t be our last war, and our next war won’t be along similar lines. That’s why, with passion and focus, the chief of air staff has been building the PAF of the future, with leadership already at the drawing board, defining the parameters of the next war.”

“PAF is aggressively pursuing capability enhancement to retain its qualitative edge the next time it is put to the test,” said the senior PAF official.

He elaborated that there are “160 projects under development” and a number of them are near completion. He did not specify what projects are being work upon.

“They will very soon be contributing to the capabilities of the PAF in particular and Pakistan in general… PAF capabilities have been substantially enhanced over the past year. They reflect accelerated institutional modernisation that has gone on since May 2025,” said AVM Ghazi.

“We would share more, but I thought we should leave some things out so we can surprise you next time.“

When asked about the induction of the Chinese fifth-generation J-35A stealth fighter, Ghazi said the Pakistan Air Force had established an “initial collaborative mechanism” on the aircraft and that the option would be available before the requirement emerged.

New Delhi’s ‘hubristic mindset’

During the question-and-answer session that followed the briefing, the military spokesperson was asked how Pakistan had defeated India despite the latter’s numerical, technological and strategic edge. DG ISPR emphasised that, if there was one factor behind Pakistan’s victory, it was the “hubristic mindset” of New Delhi’s political and military leadership.

“Their assessment of Pakistan is absolutely wrong. Where did they get the idea of Akhand Bharat? Where did they get the idea that they will define the destiny of the people of this region? This is the problem, this sense of self-entitlement, I think that is the problem where they have miscalculated, and they are miscalculating hugely,” he stressed.

The military spokesperson noted that India misconceived that it would defeat Pakistan by spending 10 times more on defence and that there was a rift between the armed forces and the public.

“There is nobody who has the power to come between the people and the armed forces. We are together; that’s the destiny of the people of Pakistan and … the armed forces,” he emphasised.

“It’s not an army for the elites, it’s an army for the poor. They (India) had the wrong idea, this is the strategic miscalculation that they made.”

Echoing Air Vice Marshal Ghazi, DG ISPR said that Pakistan is “preparing for the future war”.

He further said Pakistan did not underestimate India and “placed them where they are, but we also know who we are”.

“If you want to add one difference, that is belief within every child in Pakistan; that martyrdom is a reward and not to be afraid of,” DG ISPR stressed. “Our pilots, when they went up, had no fear.”

DG ISPR said there are multiple “tangible and intangible” factors behind Pakistan’s victory.

“Lastly, and this is the most important: this country is a gift from Allah. It’s not an ordinary country in the world; it’s a country of consequences. Our ancestors put their identity aside … and said that this country was made by Allah,” he added.

“We have this great belief in our destiny of Pakistan. When you add all these things together, no power on earth [can defeat us], so then how can India intimidate us?”

Moving on to the Indus water issue, he stated that the military is the “final instrument of violence in the hands of the state … and the people of Pakistan”.

“Water is an inalienable right; nobody can be allowed to play with the destiny of 250 million people, because without water there is no life,” he added.

“How and when this instrument of violence is used is in the hands of the Pakistani people and government.”

‘Any threat to Saudi Arabia is a threat to us’

In reply to another question, DG ISPR said that the mutual defence pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was of great importance, as Pakistan had been “chosen” to guard the two holiest sites in Islam.

“We were chosen to protect Harmain Shareefain (Masjid al-Haram in Makkah and Masjid-i-Nabawi in Madinah), and protecting Harmain Shareefain is intrinsically linked to Saudi Arabia’s national security,” he explained.

“Any threat to Saudi Arabia is a threat to us, and Saudi Arabia values Pakistan’s security. It’s mutual,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said, adding that the pact was a “manifestation” of decades-old Pakistan-Saudi ties across multiple domains.

“We will fulfil our duty and follow what we promised.”

Asked about “political-military diplomacy” in the region after the end of the Middle East war, DG ISPR highlighted that the military is a “component” and that “it is for the political leadership to decide”, referring the question to the Foreign Office.

Afghanistan not a rational player

DG ISPR, in response to a question about the status of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in Afghanistan, stated that the operation is still ongoing.

“The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s press release talked about a time-specific temporary pause,” he said.

“Ghazab lil-Haq’s linkage is with the actions of the Afghan Taliban regime. We have got nothing against Afghanistan and especially the people of Afghanistan.”

Noting that Pakistan has been “the best of brothers” and hosts to Afghans, the military spokesperson said there was no better example of brotherhood and hospitality.

“Pakistan’s Ghazab lil-Haq is one part of the national response against terrorism,” he added.

“One part of the 14-point National Action Plan is kinetics, and Ghazab lil-Haq is a sub-part of that. It’s absolutely ongoing.”

Highlighting that the number of terrorist incidents has declined and the number of terrorists killed has increased since the start of the operation, Lt Gen Chaudhry said, “At the same time, in the context of negotiations, Pakistan has one logical, just requirement: do not allow your soil to be used to launch terrorist attacks in Pakistan.”

“Yet they let kharji Noor Wali and these people stay there. The United Nations says two dozen terrorist organisations are based in Afghanistan.”

Noting Pakistan’s role in mediating the US-Iran talks to end the Middle East War as a “rational state”, DG ISPR said Afghanistan is not a rational player, nor does it behave like a state.

“Is there any rational player who makes terrorism the country’s main source of income? Does any rational player deprive its communities of the right to equal development and expression?” he asked.

“Do not compare us to them.”

DG ISPR emphasised that terrorism “at the behest of these Indians cannot be accepted”.

Responding to a follow-up question on internal politics, the military spokesperson said that dialogue is the privilege of political parties, but they have to speak to each other.

He stated clearly that the military is “not a stakeholder in the politics of Pakistan”, nor does it represent a specific creed, sect, language or political ideology.

“We come from the people of Pakistan and the people of Pakistan come from us,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said.

“We say ‘resolve your issues through dialogue.’ Who stops them? It’s none of our business.”

DG ISPR, fielding another question on the closure of the US consulate in Peshawar, said, “The security of all consulates and its members is always the responsibility of the host state, and therefore all actions for this are always in place.”

He referred the question to the Foreign Office, but noted that different diplomatic missions perform their own independent safety assessments, and that foreign diplomats are of “high value” to Pakistan.

‘Pakistan’s jugular vein’

Asked about whether Pakistan’s increased diplomatic standing can lead to a resolution of the Kashmir issue, the military spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s constant stance on Kashmir.

“You have heard it from the field marshal [Asim Munir]: Kashmir is and always will be Pakistan’s jugular vein, and that the people of Kashmir have to decide their future, as per the UN Security Council resolution and as per the right of self [determination] granted to them, they have to decide on their future,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said.

“We believe that whenever the people of Kashmir make a choice, they will be absolutely clear, and that is Pakistan,” he added.

“The hearts of Kashmiris and Pakistanis beat as one.”

He noted that the world is recognising what is happening in India-occupied Kashmir, and that the salience of the Kashmir question rises as Pakistan’s stature increases.

“The fates of Pakistan and Kashmir are intertwined. Our intentions and thoughts on Kashmir will never change, nor will the Kashmiris’ intentions and thoughts about us. This is a journey which we need to complete; we have the same destination, which we will achieve through self-determination and values,” DG ISPR added.

He said Pakistan’s military and political leadership is working on the issue “day and night” to grant Kashmiris their rights through “diplomatic, political and legal means”.

“Pakistan doesn’t believe in what Indians are doing: repression, aggression and all sorts of nonsense which they have spread both inside and outside the region,” Lt Gen Chaudhry replied.

Towards the conclusion of the presser, DG ISPR reiterated that Pakistan, as a “net regional stabiliser”, had dominated and controlled escalation during the conflict with India.

“On the other hand, there is a player with a hubristic mindset whose political rhetoric and vested interests initiated this, generating politicisation, Hindutva-isation and media frenzy,” he said, noting that the armed forces were “part of a larger choreography being carried out at the state level”.

“Terrorism is India’s default setting. When they are beaten on the battlefield, they will return to terrorism. It’s in their nature,” he added.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said that, in the event of another Indian military operation, Pakistan could “show them the reality in a matter of minutes”.

“Nothing gives us more pleasure than putting their minds to rest,” he said in response to a question.

“[Operation] Sindoor 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 — do what you want. You’re most welcome. I don’t have a problem, nor do my brothers in the navy and air force, nor does any child of Pakistan.”

“In information warfare, perception is the battlefield. If the news damages the other side—true or false—amplify it. Post it. Share it. Make it viral. Let panic spread across the border. If the news harms us — even if true — bury it. Suppress it. Disarm it before it spreads. This is not journalism. This is war. Every post is a bullet. Never fire one at your own country.”

— Anonymous X user, Indo-Pak conflict, May 2025

“Jung karni ho to 9 baje se pehle kerlena — 9:15 per gas chali jati hai humari.” (If you want to finish a war, do it before 9 PM — our gas goes off at 9:15.)

— Pakistani X user, also during the conflict, May 2025

When Indian missiles struck multiple targets inside Pakistan on May 7, 2025, two wars began simultaneously. One war involved aircraft, coordinates, and competing casualty figures that neither side would ever fully agree on. The other war was fought on X, Instagram and WhatsApp, in Urdu, Hindi, English and meme formats that require no language at all.

The first war ended in four days of contested claims and a ceasefire both sides described as a victory. The second war had a clearer and a far more unexpected result. Our netizens turned the odds in their favour. They not only fought but actually won the narrative battle. It is the question of how it did this that illuminates the direction of information warfare, and who, unexpectedly, is leading it there.

A murder of crows

It shouldn’t have been this outcome. India entered the information war with every structural advantage. Multi-decade disinformation influence operations documented by international watchdogs produced one of the most organised online nationalist ecosystems on the planet. India was coordinated, enormous, and primed for exactly this kind of conflict.

While we might take pride in our fifth-gen warriors or 5Gs, Pakistan entered the infowars with a year-long ban on the platform where most of the battle would be fought, in a country where blackouts (electricity, internet, press freedom) are a condition of daily life rather than a wartime imposition. And yet, we prevailed.

We saw a preview in Balakot, circa 2019, in a brazen act of diplomatic trolling. India’s Mirage jets crossed into Pakistan and, by India’s telling, killed hundreds of militants in a precision counter-terrorism strike. According to Pakistan’s version and that of Reuters reporters who visited the site, India actually killed four trees and some crows. India held a press conference. Pakistan filed an FIR against unnamed IAF pilots for environmental destruction, submitted a formal dossier to the United Nations demanding India be declared an “eco-terrorist,” and moved to strip Modi of the “Champion of the Earth” award the UN had given him. A song was composed in memory of the fallen trees. An annual holiday (Fantastic Tea Day) was established to honour Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who had been served chai in Pakistani captivity and had called it “fantastic”.

Pakistan did not contest India’s narrative. It replaced it with one so specific, so absurd, and so verifiably grounded that India’s victory claims curdled on contact. This is Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath at work. The giant loses not because David is stronger, but because David refuses to play the giant’s game. India wanted a narrative war conducted on the terms of the powerful—solemn, institutional, credential-heavy. Pakistan showed up with an eco-terrorism complaint and a tea holiday. The giant never recovered its footing.

Beaten to the punchline

Coming back to 2025, India’s information manual against Pakistan was, and usually has been, straightforward (some might even say boring): you are poor, you beg from the IMF, your infrastructure is a humanitarian emergency, you commit rights violations, you’re a terrorist state, your country doesn’t have resources, etc. These are real vulnerabilities which are documented, painful, and definitely not invented. As weapons of narrative warfare, they should have been devastating.

And yet, they were not. Because Pakistan fired them first. At itself. And laughed. When a Pakistani user posted “Jung karni ho to 9 baje se pehle kerlena—9:15 per gas chali jati hai humari,” they weren’t being self-pitying. (If you want to go to war, do it before 9pm, our gas load shedding starts at 9:15pm). They were challenging the Indians to do their worst…what can they do that we haven’t done to ourselves already?

Owning a weakness so completely, so publicly, so cheerfully, neutralised any attempts at damage. You cannot humiliate a country that is already laughing harder than you are. And you certainly cannot humiliate one that has beaten you to the punchline. What is more, we didn’t need a coordinated effort to achieve this, just a shared sense of deprecation. Linguist Steven Pinker, in When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows, calls this common knowledge. It is the public, visible consensus that coordinates collective posture without issuing orders. We don’t need to explain it because everyone gets it. And everyone’s in on it. Every Valima-in-a-heatwave tweet, every transformer-mistaken-for-a-nuclear-strike thread was building a global audience, aligned and laughing in synch.

Pakistan has been rehearsing for this moment for decades. We practised on Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s couplets aimed at military dictators, truck-art commentary running up GT Road and with barely hidden references to Vigo kee sawari and Mehkma-e-Zaraat. In Weapons of the Weak, political scientist James C. Scott called it the “hidden transcript” or the subordinate group’s resistance conducted not through rebellion but through jokes, coded language, and the quiet appropriation of the Master’s narrative. The peasant who cannot challenge the landlord directly learns to challenge him indirectly through foot-dragging, feigned ignorance, and the precise deployment of the apparently innocent remark.

Know your audience

The information war was also lost to myopia. India was talking to Indians. Pakistan was talking to everyone.

India’s digital ecosystem of viral news anchors, coordinated hashtag campaigns and studio generals declaring cities captured was calibrated for a domestic audience already marinated in a decade of Hindutva-inflected media. The claims didn’t need to be accurate, just emotionally satisfying to people watching from Mumbai and Delhi. The international press, the foreign policy community, the undecided global gallery: none of these were the target. They were the collateral audience, and collateral audiences notice when you’re lying.

Pakistan’s memes, by contrast, were legible everywhere and spoke to a global audience. The Vince McMahon escalation meme required no knowledge of South Asian geopolitics. The shrimp karahi tweet from the allegedly bombed waterfront required only the ability to recognise absurdity. The Lowy Institute noted that Pakistan’s memes made it appear “cool-headed and composed, while India appeared reactionary and militaristic”. This was a verdict delivered not by Pakistani state media but by an Australian foreign policy think tank reading the international room. The Columbia Journalism Review called India’s coverage the smog of war (man-made, and known to be so by those making it).

The specifics are worth cataloguing. Zee News announced India had captured Islamabad and Pakistan surrendered. Times Now Navbharat declared Indian forces had entered Pakistan. Aaj Tak aired footage from the January 2025 Philadelphia plane crash as an Indian airstrike on Karachi. Major (retd) Gaurav Arya “reported” that the Indian Navy had bombed Karachi’s port—a claim met, in real time, by a Pakistani journalist filing from a restaurant beside the allegedly destroyed waterfront, eating shrimp karahi. An AI deepfake of DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry was circulated as authentic footage of him admitting Pakistani jet losses. India’s military later acknowledged that 15 per cent of operational time had been spent debunking fake news, and most of it was homegrown. The trolls were not operating in a parallel ecosystem but were on primetime television.

India’s information war defeat was largely self-inflicted. The enemy’s most effective psychological operation was India’s own media. According to BOOM Live, India’s leading fact-checking organisation, 68pc of all fact-checks conducted in May 2025 were related to Operation Sindoor. Not 68pc of the defence-and-security fact-checks, 68pc of everything. In a country of 1.4 billion people, with a media ecosystem covering every subject imaginable, two-thirds of all verifiable falsehoods circulating in that month were about one four-day military operation. India’s information war was not undermined by Pakistan. It was undermined by India’s own media infrastructure, operating at full speed, in the wrong direction.

Counting the wins

Pakistan’s most disciplined information operation was also its simplest: 6-0. Six IAF aircraft downed, deployed in press conferences and memes simultaneously, with the consistency of a brand campaign.

The Rafale was the centrepiece. India’s most prestigious military asset, the jet Modi had staked significant political capital on acquiring, was now the subject of a Washington Post report confirming three crash sites in Indian territory. French intelligence acknowledged at least one loss. It was the first Rafale combat loss in the aircraft’s history. Pakistan had shot down India’s most expensive jet with a PL-15, and before the debris had cooled, had put it in a metaphorical tandoor, named the hashtag Operation Tandoor, and was serving it with naan and half a million impressions.

The Defence Minister joined the bandwagon personally and retweeted an AI-generated image of Modi cycling the Rafale wreckage to the Bilal Ganj scrap market. 533,000 impressions. The state and the meme had become a single, grinning entity. Even the Chinese chimed in with their own videos.

Ritual humiliation

India named its operation Sindoor, or the vermilion marker worn by married Hindu women, invoking the widows of Pahalgam, framing its military strikes as masculine national grief made kinetic. Feminist scholars were not impressed, noting that branding a military campaign after a symbol of female marital subservience was a peculiar flex. Pakistan did not miss the opening, albeit with a rather regretful display of misogyny wrapped in jingoism.

Operation Suhag Raat trended within hours, reducing the widow-avenging solemnity to bedroom comedy. AI images of Modi as a Hindu widow (Operation Widhwa) circulated with the confidence of a finishing move. A Pakistan Army soldier applying sindoor to a woman in the Indian tricolour sari, beneath the banner “New Chapter Begins,” completed the inversion: in the ritual, the one who applies the sindoor is dominant.

India had named its operation after what husbands give wives. Pakistan replied by demonstrating who, in this version, was the husband. More work for the feminist scholars here.

The Trump card

Perhaps the coup-de-grace was the ceasefire announcement. US President Donald Trump announced he had brokered the deal, saving (by his own escalating estimate) somewhere between five million and fifty million lives, a figure he has revisited more than eighty times. India firmly rejected any US role, insecure of resolving any issue with Pakistan multilaterally (case in point: Kashmir).

Pakistan not only accepted it, but embraced it, nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Twice. PM Shehbaz Sharif, flanking the US president in Egypt, offered a salute and called him “the man this world needs most at this point in time”. The flattery was extravagant to the point of parody. It was also, as a piece of diplomatic manoeuvring, near-perfect—each nomination costing nothing, purchasing significant goodwill from a man who responds to recognition the way a plant responds to water. And we are all in on it. Common knowledge.

The result? For the first time in a generation, Islamabad is warmer with Washington than New Delhi is. The underdog played the room. The giant, too proud to flatter, paid full price.

The (pr)oxymoron

The lessons of 2025 can be summarised in a paradox we may not dwell on too much. As much as we may want to give credit to the 5Gs and our communications statecraft, the voice that won this information war—irreverent, uncontrollable, brilliantly indirect—is precisely the voice the State has spent years trying to silence, citing electoral disinformation and digital terrorism.

Whenever the bans came, we didn’t stop, thanks to the VPNs. War was, ironically, a welcome relief. Seeing the trends, the ban was lifted overnight, arguably because the same forces who saw this behaviour as a threat, suddenly found its irreverence an asset. The weapon it had spent years confiscating turned out to be the one that critically turned the tide in our favour.

The lesson of 2025 is not that Pakistani trolls were more creative than Indian ones, even though they were. It is that a government which treats free expression as a threat to be managed will find, at the worst possible moment, that it has disarmed its own most effective weapon. We would do well to value the humour and resilience of this expression.

This country’s humour is not decoration. It is load-bearing. It carried us through Balakot, through the IMF, through every blackout of every kind—and when the missiles came, it was the first thing the world heard and the last thing India could answer. The condition is simple: let the people speak. Not when it’s convenient. Always.