Pakistan Textbooks Misrepresent 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict, Spread Misinformation to Students
Pakistan, reeling from setbacks during Operation Sindoor, is now spreading misinformation through its school textbooks. According to media reports, the new curriculum depicts the four-day conflict with India in May 2025 in a highly distorted manner, portraying Pakistan as the victim and exaggerating its military achievements.
The textbooks claim that India launched an unprovoked attack on May 7, 2025, falsely blaming Pakistan for a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, and allege that Pakistan retaliated by shooting down four Indian Rafale jets and destroying several Indian airbases. However, official Indian accounts and evidence reveal a very different narrative.
Claims vs. Reality
Claim 1: India started the war
According to Pakistani textbooks, India “falsely” accused Pakistan of the Pahalgam attack and attacked without cause.
Reality: On April 22, 2025, Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam, Kashmir. India responded with Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist hideouts belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen. No civilian or military installations were targeted.
Claim 2: Pakistan only hit military targets and downed four Rafales
The curriculum claims that Pakistan bravely shot down four Rafale fighter jets and retaliated solely against Indian military installations.
Reality: India had warned Pakistan of severe consequences if attacks continued. Pakistan carried out drone strikes in Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar, and 26 other locations, including civilian areas. India retaliated by destroying Pakistan’s HQ-9 air defence system in Lahore and striking Sialkot and Islamabad. Most Pakistani attacks were successfully intercepted by Indian air defenses.
Claim 3: Pakistan destroyed Indian airbases
The textbooks allege that Pakistan launched Operation Banyan-un-Marsoos on May 10, destroying 26 Indian airbases.
Reality: While Pakistan attempted to strike Indian bases, India retaliated by targeting Muridke, Nur Khan, Rafique, Sargodha, Chaklala, and Rahim Yar Khan airbases, along with the Pakistani military headquarters in Rawalpindi. Satellite images and video evidence confirm that Indian strikes were precise, while most Pakistani strikes were ineffective.
Claim 4: India requested a ceasefire
Pakistani textbooks claim India suffered heavy losses and requested a ceasefire, which Pakistan accepted after appeals from US officials.
Reality: On May 10, US Vice President JD Vance called PM Narendra Modi regarding a ceasefire. Modi clarified that India would not accept mediation and would respond if attacks continued. Later, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar that Pakistan was willing to halt attacks. The ceasefire agreement was reached after direct military talks, not because India requested it.
Claim 5: General Asim Munir promoted for victory
Textbooks glorify Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir, claiming his promotion to field marshal was due to battlefield success.
Reality: Munir’s promotion was largely symbolic, aimed at projecting an image of military success to the Pakistani public rather than reflecting actual victory.
India Exposes the Truth
On May 12, 2025, the Indian Army held a press briefing, presenting satellite imagery and videos to counter Pakistan’s claims. India confirmed that its operations targeted terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and PoK, not civilian areas, exposing Pakistan’s attempts to rewrite history for school students.
By distorting facts in textbooks, Pakistan is not only misleading its citizens but also creating a false historical narrative for future generations, undermining educational integrity and spreading propaganda.
