IN consonance with its heinous practice of launching a false-flag operation on its own soil, blaming Pakistan for an alleged terror attack and threatening its western neighbour with punitive action, on 22 April 2025, India launched a fake attack at Pahalgam when US Vice President JD Vance was in New Delhi.
Nary a moment had passed that India filed an FIR, named Pakistan as the perpetrator—the chauvinistic Indian media, which follows the diktat of its infamous spy agency RAW and its fanatical regime BJP, the devotee of Hindutva, went into full gear—intimidating and threatening to cast fire and brimstone on Pakistan.
There have been a series of false flag operations: US President Bill Clinton’s visit to India on 20 March 2000, 35 Sikhs were slaughtered in the “Chittisinghpura Massacre” in Illegally Indian Occupied Kashmir (IIOK); the 2001 assault on Indian Parliament, killing 14 people; the 2008 Mumbai Attack resulting in 176 deaths; the September 2016 attack on an “Indian Army base in Uri, Jammu & Kashmir”, killing “19 soldiers; 14 February 2019, Pulwama attack—killing 40 Central Reserve Polce Force personnel were all self orchestrated and the blame placed squarely on Pakistan.
Each attack emboldened India to adopt typical Chanakyan style of lies and deceit, getting Modi re-elected and continuing his reign of terror; annexing Kashmir, wreaking havoc on the hapless inhabitants and continuing to torment Indian Muslims and other minorities, especially Sikhs.
In the backdrop of the latest episode of Pahalgam false-flag action, Modi suspended the Indus Water Treaty, cancelled trade agreements with Pakistan and expelled Pakistani diplomats and all Pakistani visitors to India.
Pakistan’s protests against the false allegations, seeking evidence of the accusations from New Delhi and a proposal of a neutral third party to investigate were rejected with disdain.
In a surge of madness, Modi—reeling under illusions of grandeur, having acquired weapons of Mass Destruction and state-of-the-art Rafale fighter jets—launched a deadly aerial attack with stand-off weapons from a distance of more than 100 kilometres on fictitious terror training centres in Azad Kashmir and numerous cities in Pakistan, destroying mosques and houses, killing forty-one civilians including children, women and elderly persons.
However, on the night of the attack, the aggressors were in for a rude shock.
The vigilant Pakistan Air Force, while remaining within its own boundary, targeted and destroyed five Indian aircraft including three of the much-touted state-of-the-art Rafales, a Su-30 and a MiG-29.
The Indian media initially posted news and photographs of the wreckage but after government intervention, removed the pictures.
In this era of information technology, western and independent sources started confirming the destruction of Indian might in the historic hour-long aerial war where technology and high spirits of PAF prevailed.
Modi—who never expected such a severe blow, went berserk with rage—retaliating with barrages of armed and surveillance drones all over Pakistan and Kashmir.
Failing to break the will of Pakistan, the Hindutva Parcharak (activists), resorted to a plethora of preposterous lies and fake news, doctored and AI generated visuals, claiming to have destroyed Karachi Port, most major cities, blowing up army air defence centres and installation as well as shooting down Pakistani F-16, capturing its pilot alive.
The Bollywood mentality which has seeped in India’s veins has given them blinkered vision, residing in a fake and make-believe world fooling themselves.
Seething with rage, Modi ordered every trick in the book of state terrorism, staged more fake attacks on his own soil, hitting Sikh places of worship blaming Pakistan, to drive a wedge between Pakistan and the Sikhs.
Copying an old Israeli ploy, toy bombs were dropped in Azad Kashmir to hurt, maim and kill innocent children.
Pakistan’s tolerance was further tested by targeting three of its air bases but most were intercepted, causing little damage.
The massive attack forced Pakistan to retaliate on 10 May 2025, targeting Indian military installations and depriving a large portion of India of electric power through cyber attacks.
In the measured response to India’s earlier attacks on Pakistani air bases, Islamabad successfully struck Udhampur and Pathankot Air Bases and BrahMos Missile Storage Facilities in numerous locations.
Pakistan drones were also reportedly loitering over New Delhi.
Till the filing of this Op-ed, it is regretfully reported that in his mad pursuit of realizing Hindutva’s dream of Akhand Bharat—Modi has brought the world to the brink of annihilation if nuclear weapons are used.
Apparently, the world remains oblivious to the perils of the flashpoint where even a minor error can cause a major catastrophe.
Regrettably, US Vice President JD Vance stated that the United States will not intervene in the ongoing Pakistan-India standoff, citing that the conflict is “fundamentally none of our business” and that Washington does not see any immediate risk of nuclear war.
Sadly, the instruments to ensure peace after World War-II like the UN, Vienna Convention and other platforms have failed.
We are witnessing cyberwarfare in real time and two of the poorest nations in the world are inching towards mutually assured destruction.
The pursuit to combat global warming, industrial development and space exploration will come to nought if the world does not intervene.
This is not an Artificial Intelligence generated video game, which has dulled the sensitivities of this generation.
Gaza has seen a lopsided war between two uneven adversaries but here we are facing real nukes and the time to act for the world is now.
—The writer, Retired Group Captain of PAF, is author of several books on China. (sultanm.hali@gmail.com)
