OPINION | Exposed: Pakistan’s propaganda machine

Pakistan army chief Gen. Asim Munir on Saturday again harped on the Hindu-Muslim "two-nation theory" at the military academy passing out parade, and said, this theory was central to the existence and identity of his country. Gen. Munir and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif told the parade that their armed forces were ready to retaliate if India launches an attack.  Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that if India launches attack, it must not underestimate his country's capability. "We have nuclear bombs and missiles and we will give a strong response", he said. Wartime posturings apart, the fact remains that Pakistan cannot win a conventional war against India and India cannot be browbeaten by the threat of nuclear weapons. Last year, I had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi in my television show in Delhi,  and the PM jocularly replied that he had gone to check in Pakistan and found nothing. However, there is one point in which Pakistan can remain pro-active. It can peddle lies and with the social media platforms working overtime, it is easier to do this. In one video, made viral by Pakistani elements, a man appeared claiming to be an Indian army officer and held Indian army responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack. This man is clearly a tool working for Pakistan's propaganda machine and he has nothing to do with the Indian army. All the claims that he was making are plain lies. Another narrative that was set in motion is that the CRPF deployment at the meadow in Pahalgam was removed a few days before the terror attack, on the directions of a senior official. This is a white lie. Pakistan also released a so-called list of Pahalgam victims to claim that there were 15 Muslims among those killed. This is another big lie. No need to add more such examples here. In the coming days, more lies will be peddled and efforts will be made to divide people in India by creating scares. Such narratives will be put in motion to appear as if they are authentic. All of us must remain careful and tell others to refrain from trusting such propaganda as gospel truth. In today's information technology age, propaganda is a powerful tool and all of us should be wary. 

India