History of India’s false flag operations to defame Pakistan

False flag operations by India are nothing new. History is witness that India has repeatedly tried to defame Pakistan at the international level through false allegations.

Many such incidents took place when India had to divert attention from internal issues or face important diplomatic moments.

In January 1971, when an Indian Airlines plane was hijacked and taken to Lahore, India immediately blamed Pakistan and banned its flights to East Pakistan.

Similarly, on March 20, 2000, during the visit of US President Bill Clinton to India, 36 Sikhs were massacred in occupied Kashmir, which was initially blamed on Pakistan, but later evidence proved that this incident was the handiwork of Indian forces, which was aimed at defaming Pakistan during Clinton’s visit.

Later, on December 13, 2001, the Indian Parliament was attacked, which was blamed on Pakistan without any clear evidence. This incident was also used by India to create military movements and war environment on the border.

In February 2007, 68 people, mostly Pakistanis, were killed in bomb blasts in the Samjhauta Express. It was also blamed on Pakistan, but later evidence of the involvement of Indian Hindu extremist organizations came to light. The purpose of this attack was to sabotage the peace process between Pakistan and India.

Pakistan was blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks immediately after the incident, but discrepancies in the investigation and the suspicious killing of ATS chief Hemant Karkare made clear the real motive for the attack.

After Modi’s surprise visit to Pakistan in December 2015, the Pathankot airbase was attacked in January 2016 and India once again blamed Pakistan without concrete evidence.

In February 2019, 40 Indian soldiers were killed in a suicide blast in Pulwama. The incident took place at a time when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was about to visit Pakistan and India immediately blamed Pakistan. Later, the investigation also proved this propaganda of India to be false.

In January 2023, Pakistani intelligence uncovered a fake operation plan in Poonch district of Indian-occupied Kashmir, which India wanted to carry out on Republic Day so that Pakistan could be falsely accused of terrorism.

All these incidents indicate an orderly and consistent practice, in which India resorted to false actions to defame Pakistan globally on important diplomatic occasions.

These actions not only damaged relations between the two countries but also posed serious threats to peace in the region.