Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 18: Pakistan is visibly rattled by the release of a documentary on Operation Sindoor, with the country's military media wing launching an attack on the film and questioning India's account of the operation.
The Discovery Channel released the two-part documentary, titled “Declassified: Operation Sindoor,” which premiered on August 15. The documentary features Indian military leaders and personnel involved in the operation and examines its planning and execution following the Pahalgam terror attack.
The official response came from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan military. The ISPR described the documentary as India's own depiction of the operation and questioned India's claim of achieving 100 per cent success.
Officials said a lot has changed in Islamabad following Operation Sindoor, with Pakistan's military establishment facing questions over the outcome of the operation.
An official said Field Marshal Asim Munir's aggressive posture within Pakistan was a reflection of what transpired during Operation Sindoor. The official claimed that his actions in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Balochistan, Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) indicated an attempt to cover up the loss of face suffered during the Indian operation.
Pakistan watchers said the country's establishment, particularly its military, had been forced to explain the outcome of Operation Sindoor to the people as well as to terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen, which were among those hardest hit during the operation.
According to the experts, all three terror groups suffered significant losses to their infrastructure, including training facilities and headquarters, besides personnel. They said the documentary has further highlighted an issue that Pakistan's establishment and Asim Munir would prefer to move away from.
An Intelligence Bureau official said the ISPR had been instructed to continuously attack the documentary and question its authenticity. Although this may make little difference to Indian viewers, the official said, it could trigger renewed questions among people in Pakistan about the country's establishment.
This, the official said, explains the aggressive stance adopted by the ISPR against the documentary.
Another official said Pakistan had intensified an information war against India since Operation Sindoor. Several social media handles were allegedly created by the Pakistani Army and ISI to circulate false narratives concerning the Indian armed forces.
These efforts were aimed at spreading misinformation and attempting to demoralise the Indian military, the official said, adding that the latest criticism of the documentary was part of the same alleged disinformation campaign.
Indian intelligence agencies are continuing to monitor the activities of Pakistani-linked social media handles, officials said.
These handles are expected to step up their content by posting manipulated videos and images aimed at discrediting the Indian armed forces and the Union government, officials said. They added that targeting the documentary was also intended to create doubts among international viewers and prevent them from getting what India considers an accurate picture of Operation Sindoor.
The operation, according to the officials, was precise and hard-hitting and inflicted significant damage on the terror infrastructure in Pakistan.