Pahalgam attack: Heightened India-Pak tensions open floodgates of misinformation

As tensions between India and Pakistan continue to grow in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives and the subsequent slew of measures from both nations, it has opened floodgates of misinformation and rumors.

Fake news pertaining to shelling, internet disruptions and forceful deportations have spread like wildfire on social media platforms.

Police, other security forces and ministries have repeatedly release advisories and warning to tackle the misinformation.

On Wednesday, news spread that the internet was snapped in villages and towns close to the Line of Control (LOC) and firing had started at many places, especially in border towns.

“The news about internet disruption and firing in villages near LoC spread like wildfire. I received dozens of calls about the firing and the internet snapping from across J&K only to negate them,” said Zafar Iqbal, a resident of Uri town, which is the closest major centre to the LoC in Kashmir. “After ceasefire violations on LoC and IB, the people in Uri and villages close to border are in panic as they fear escalation,” said Uri resident Ayaz Ahmad.

He says his village, Bagna, has been hit by shells in the past.

On Tuesday, news about the mother of Shaurya Chakra awardee Mudasir Ahmad, who was killed in a gunfight in J&K, being called to Srinagar from Uri and taken to deportation started circulating on social media. The police and family members termed the news as “baseless”. The army also issued a warning, asking the media to refrain from spreading fake news in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.