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As tensions continue to escalate between India and Pakistan, actor Ahsan Mohsin Ikram criticised the “propaganda” spread by the Indian media, calling it “emotional engineering.”

On Wednesday, the Indian military launched late-night airstrikes on six sites in Pakistan — including Sialkot, Bahawalpur, and parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. In response, Pakistan shot down five Indian jets and destroyed an Indian brigade headquarters and check post along the Line of Control.

On Thursday, Pakistan intercepted and destroyed as many as 25 Indian drones across the country that had intruded into its airspace.

Amid all this, there were reports of misinformation spread by the Indian media, including false reports of attacks on major cities. Pakistani officials responded to a number of apparently false claims. On Thursday night, Indian news channels were flooded with reports claiming that India’s air defence systems had shot down Pakistani jets during alleged attacks on multiple locations across Jammu in India-held Kashmir and Punjab in India.

Although the claims were widely repeated, no evidence or footage was offered to substantiate them. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar dismissed the claims that India shot down Pakistani jets, including an F-16 and two JF-17 fighter jets.

In a statement from the Foreign Office, Pakistan rejected the baseless and irresponsible allegations propagated by Indian media, accusing Pakistan of launching attacks on Pathankot, Jaisalmer, and Srinagar.

‘Lying and deceiving’

Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Ikram posted a series of stories and said, “The Modi regime in India has mastered emotional engineering. Through extreme propaganda, they’ve crafted an alternate reality where India is the eternal victim, and questioning the military or government is equal to treason.”

The Parchayee actor continued that the most heartbreaking part was that smart and compassionate people were swept into the wave. He said that the Indian strikes on Pakistan and the rhetoric justifying them were “the same old playbook we’ve been seeing for years: tragedy happens — scapegoat Pakistan — bomb targets — rally political support.”

He maintained that this was a textbook strategy of authoritarian regimes.

“Godi media, you can keep lying and deceiving your own people, but you can’t fool the world,” he wrote.

He said that Pakistanis were “chilling and sleeping peacefully, thanks to our brave armed forces who keep us protected from ground, sea and air”.

“Pray for your soldiers tonight and many more nights to come. Our surprise will be as per our choice of time, place and locations,” he said.

His statement echoed what Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas that Pakistan reserved the right to respond to Indian aggression appropriately at a time and place of its choosing, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.

“Tomorrow the world will be laughing at you and we will laugh the loudest,” Ikram wrote.

“After what the Indian media has done tonight, tomorrow when the world wakes up to all the lies they fed the world and their own nation tonight would have to be backed by proofs which they don’t have any as they were all lies.”

The actor continued that India “killed” its local journalism in front of the world and would now have zero credibility for their word. He also recalled the story of the boy who cried wolf, adding that India was that boy.