ISI Pushes ‘False Flag’ Narrative Via Media, Bots; Indian Agencies On High Alert

Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, along with the Pakistan Army’s X Corps and ISPR, has activated a coordinated “false flag” narrative targeting India over the past 48 hours, according to intelligence inputs accessed by ABP News.

The narrative, first floated by ISI, claims that a potential terrorist attack could take place in India in the coming days and pre-emptively labels it as a “false flag” operation. It further alleges that Pakistani nationals lodged in Indian prisons could be used in such an operation.

This messaging is being amplified in a systematic manner across Pakistan’s information ecosystem, including mainstream media and digital platforms. Leading outlets such as Dawn and Geo News are carrying the narrative, which is also being widely circulated across social media networks through coordinated amplification channels.

Narrative Creation And Amplification

According to intelligence sources, the propaganda campaign was conceptualized and drafted on Monday by ISI’s Director General-Media (DG-M) Major General Muhammad Mushtaq Ali.

The narrative was then “planted” in leading Pakistani newspapers and TV channels. Shortly after its publication online by Dawn, the Pakistan Army’s X Corps and ISPR initiated a wider dissemination strategy.

Lieutenant General Amer Ahsan Nawaz, Commander of X Corps, along with ISPR’s DG-Bravo Major General Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, have overseen the amplification phase. Their team used bot networks and affiliated social media handles to push the false flag narrative at scale.

Timing Raises Concerns

The timing of this campaign is being viewed as significant, as it comes ahead of the first anniversary of the Pahalgam terror attack, suggesting a possible attempt to pre-emptively shape the narrative environment.

Indian intelligence officials note that a similar pattern of disinformation was observed last year approximately 23 days before the Pahalgam attack, when Pakistan floated comparable claims and later attempted to present them as “evidence” after the terror attack.

However, these assertions were subsequently contradicted following the neutralisation of 3 terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack, and two of the three attackers were found to possess Pakistani CNICs, effectively undermining Islamabad’s earlier denial and weakening its propaganda narrative globally.

Ground Situation and Security Inputs

Sources further reveal that in the last 11 months since the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian security forces have eliminated 34 Pakistani terrorists based on credible inputs from the Intelligence Bureau.

However, more than 40 Pakistani terrorists affiliated with Pakistan-sponsored terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed are still believed to be active in Jammu and Kashmir.

Agencies On High Alert

Sources added that intelligence agencies are closely monitoring recent developments, including meetings between senior ISI officials and commanders of terror outfits.

In particular, meetings over the past two months involving ISI’s Sector Commander Punjab, Brigadier Rizwan Sharif, with operatives from Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed are also known to Indian agencies.

Indian intelligence and security agencies remain on high alert, tracking both physical and information-domain threats. Officials emphasize that the current propaganda push appears to be part of a broader hybrid warfare strategy combining psychological operations with potential ground-level activities.