War Hysteria Over Truth: How India’s Media Distorted the Pahalgam Incident

Author: Amna Saqib

The tragic killing of 26 innocent tourists in the Pahalgam incident should have led to a moment of national mourning, followed by a careful and unbiased investigation. Instead, Indian media quickly turned this into a political blame game and a media-driven storm of war hysteria by endorsing premature accusations against Pakistan. Within a few hours of the incident, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah rushed to accuse Pakistan, stating that “Pakistan must pay a price for every act of terrorism”. Without waiting for credible evidence from investigations, this statement immediately reappeared across the media platforms and TV screens, and any sensible approach for restraint was forgotten. Revenge became a primetime talk show narrative in the Indian media, and intelligence leaks, anonymous and unnamed, made news while people called for calm or due process.

This is not the first time the Indian media has resorted to such theatrics. During the post-Pulwama attack and Balakot episodes in 2019, where decisions about national security were influenced more by political rhetoric than by clear, verified facts, the same pattern was followed by the Indian media as in the current crisis. A troubling pattern of India’s approach is the repeated exploitation of such tragedies for political gain. India has repeatedly used regional crises to gain a domestic political advantage, with diplomacy and trust-building sacrificed. India has repeatedly done so from Kargil in 1999, Pulwama in 2019, and Pahalgam in 2025. The Modi government has institutionalized media control by bringing in more focused professionals and given to propaganda. While it is true that this tactic brings immediate political gain but it also seriously puts long-term regional stability at risk. 

Moreover, the Pahalgam tragedy unfolded during the high-profile visit by the US Vice President, when India faced domestic political pressure, suggesting that it was more than mere coincidence. However, the timing is also significant, given the way tragedies have been exploited, raising serious questions about whether national tragedies should be used for political advantage. 

Also, the internal dynamics of India, like upcoming elections, are strategically timed to maximize political gains by consolidating votes along religious and nationalist lines. The ruling party can consolidate votes and secure an electoral advantage using false narratives. 

At the center of this narrative manipulation is India’s mainstream media. Rather than demonstrating journalistic responsibility, most media outlets repeat the narrative of the government. Instead of searching and highlighting facts, they race to broadcast sensitive commentary that places immediate blame on Pakistan. The complex regional realities are reduced to simplistic binaries: India as the victim, Pakistan as the aggressor state. How the media conducted themselves in these situations did not just distort public discourse but left little space for balanced analysis. 

Indian mainstream media, by playing the most central and important role, twists the narrative around the Pahalgam incident and shapes a biased narrative. Most media channels presented the official narratives, without any effort to verify the facts independently, and demand transparency.  The media became a transmitter of emotional sensationalism and ignored mainstream analysis and dissenting voices. In addition, India’s effort to internationalize its narrative also failed in the international community.  The New York Times reported that the Indian diplomats, who were briefing the foreign missions, were unable to provide any convincing evidence that linked Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack. Moreover, many analysts  were critical of India’s reliance on vague attributions and ‘past patterns’ rather than ‘firm and verifiable evidence.’ 

But Pakistan’s response to these allegations on the Pahalgam incident was very different — diplomatically, Pakistan’s response was articulated and responsible. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to reiterate Pakistan’s commitment to peace and regional stability. He demonstrated a responsible approach, based on facts, transparency, and not speculation, and with an offer for an ‘impartial international investigation’ of the attack.” Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also took the same position, categorically rejecting India’s claim and saying that Pakistan had no interest in destabilization. He labelled the baseless accusations as ‘irresponsible and dangerous’. However, he added that Pakistan will continue to respond responsibly and with truth to Indian allegations and false narratives. 

India has been continuously trying to tarnish the image of Pakistan and has not hesitated to blame it for supporting terrorism. The repercussions of such irresponsible behavior are serious for the region. Even such irresponsible mistakes can lead to a dangerous escalation of tensions in this volatile region, as history has shown when an Indian BrahMos missile was launched into Pakistani territory in 2022. The margin of error is small in South Asia where two nuclear-armed states are close neighbors with deeply mistrusted relations. In addition, both states have two different ways of dealing with each other, one is based on evidence and de-escalation, and the other is based on political motives and media influence.

In times of crises, global powers need to keep to a standard, avoid merely calling for ‘restraint’, and encouraging evidence-based investigations, and initiate backchannel communications. In fact, China has already openly supported Pakistan’s demand for an independent inquiry into the Pahalgam incident. Therefore, the role of the international community in preventing immediate conflicts is an important factor for long-term peace and stability. 

The most important point to scrutinize high stakes narratives is to look at the role of the media. Handled appropriately, the media can help de-escalate tensions, encourage understanding and ensure accountability. India’s treatment of the Pahalgam incident is not new, if one looks at irresponsible media, which can worsen the situation by spreading misinformation, creating public anger, and forcing policymakers to make hasty decisions.

Today, leaders and the media must act wisely and responsibly. A tragedy should not begin by losing the truth. Sadly, Indian media mostly continues to be ruled by sensationalism and nationalism at the cost of journalistic ethics. It has failed its public and endangered regional peace by blindly endorsing state narratives and sidelining critical voices. If Indian media continues in this manner, perpetuating the mistakes of Pulwama, Balakot, and now Pahalgam, South Asia may be on the verge of another conflict that no one wants that all will deeply regret. Fear and blame are not what the region deserves: it needs honest reporting and calm leadership. Information has become a powerful weapon, and those who shape public opinion must not use it to create conflict but to bring peace.

The author, Amna Saqib is serving as a Research Officer & Assistant Editor at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS) Islamabad.