How India’s Lies Fell Apart – From “Captured Lahore” to S-400 Fantasies
Discover the truth behind the May 6–10, 2025 Pakistan-India conflict. From fake claims of destroying Lahore & Karachi ports to unproven S-400 “kills,” see how Indian officials spread misinformation.
Between May 6 and May 10, 2025, Pakistan and India clashed in one of the most intense flare-ups in recent years. It began after a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi hastily blamed on Pakistan – a charge Islamabad flatly denied. Within days, the world saw cross-border skirmishes, drones, and stand-off missile exchanges. But what stole the headlines wasn’t just the fighting – it was the tsunami of lies coming from India’s media and officials.
From imaginary port destructions to phantom air kills, India’s credibility took a self-inflicted beating. Here’s the full story from Pakistan’s side.
The Conflict and the First Wave of Disinformation
While real events were happening – like Pakistan shooting down dozens of Indian drones over Karachi, Lahore, and other cities – Indian media decided to script its own “Bollywood victory.”
Within hours of the first shots, TV anchors and Twitter handles across India began making wild claims:
“Capture of Lahore” – Indian channels confidently declared their forces had stormed Lahore. One even claimed the “Lahore Port” had been destroyed – never mind that Lahore is hundreds of kilometers from the sea.
“Karachi Port Obliterated” – Times Now, Zee News, and others reported the Indian Navy’s INS Vikrant had reduced Karachi Port to ashes. In reality? Not a single spark. Karachi carried on as normal.
“Islamabad Falls” – State broadcaster Prasar Bharati and others aired “breaking” news that Pakistan’s Prime Minister had fled and Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir had been arrested in a coup. Truth? Islamabad was secure, and Gen. Munir would soon be promoted to Field Marshal.
“Cities Turned to Dust” – Peshawar, Quetta, and more were said to be in ruins, with “live visuals” that turned out to be video game footage or clips from Syria and Gaza.
Even respected names like Barkha Dutt joined in, tweeting about “our Navy targeting Karachi Port” – a strike that never happened.
Pakistan’s Response – Reality vs. Fiction
Pakistan’s military and government moved fast to expose the falsehoods:
ISPR confirmed no Pakistani airbases or defences were damaged.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif challenged Indian media to send observers to Karachi to see for themselves – no damage, no smoke, no “obliteration.”
Drone wreckage was displayed to the media, proving Indian incursions were limited to unmanned systems, all of which were neutralized.
International observers and fact-checkers, including Alt News and The Washington Post, were blunt: India’s claims were provably false. By May 9, Indian outlets quietly deleted tweets and aired half-hearted apologies, blaming the “fog of war.”
In Pakistan, the mood turned from concern to mockery. Social media users joked that according to Indian news, Pakistanis must have “rebuilt cities overnight like Dr. Strange.”
The Air Chief’s S-400 Fairy Tale
Months later, in August 2025, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh reignited the fantasy factory. On stage, he claimed India had shot down six Pakistani aircraft – five fighter jets and one “large” plane – mostly with the Russian-made S-400 air defence system.
No models named. No evidence provided. No wreckage shown.
Pakistan’s response was scathing. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif called the claim a fabrication and dared India to open its aircraft inventory to independent inspection – a challenge New Delhi has never accepted. The Pakistan Air Force maintains not a single aircraft was lost in the conflict.
Even U.S. officials, who track Pakistani F-16s closely, said they were unaware of any losses – a silent but telling rebuttal to the Indian Air Chief’s boasts.
The Credibility Collapse
From “captured Lahore” to phantom S-400 kills, the May 2025 episode has become a textbook case of how propaganda backfires.
India’s media, including once-credible voices, indulged in unverified, sensational claims. When the dust settled, the world saw that Pakistan’s cities stood intact, its leadership was in place, and its Air Force was unharmed.
By lying so openly – and then having its own Air Chief repeat unproven claims on an international stage – India has crippled its credibility. Next time New Delhi makes grand battlefield claims, the global reaction is likely to be: “Remember May 2025? Show us proof.”
For Pakistan, the lesson was clear: facts on the ground outlast propaganda.