Since the Pahalgam terror attack, the internet has been rife with misinformation as India and Pakistan exchanged hostilities for four days.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check unit on Tuesday debunked a viral video showing an Army officer blaming the Indian government, armed forces and intelligence agencies for the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
The purported video, which has gone viral on social media, shows the alleged Army officer, who named himself and his Commanding Officer, blaming the Indian government for the dastardly terror attack last month in Pahalgam, in which 26 tourists were killed.
However, the PIB said the video was fake and that the Army officer had not reported for duty since March 2025, and neither was he in contact with his relatives. “Please stay alert. Do not fall for any such videos,” he said.
#पहलगाम आतंकी हमले के संबंध में केंद्र सरकार पर आरोप लगाते हुए भारतीय सेना के भगोड़े जवान का वीडियो सोशल मीडिया पर वायरल हो रहा है। #PIBFactCheck
✅ वीडियो में दिखाई दे रहा जवान मार्च 2025 से अपनी ड्यूटी पर उपस्थित नहीं था, न ही परिजनों के संपर्क में था
✅ कृपया सतर्क रहें।… pic.twitter.com/V3viftB9OT
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 13, 2025
Meanwhile, the account that spread the video of the missing army soldier has been withheld in India “in response to a legal demand”.
According to Army sources, the rifleman has been missing since he applied for leave. A case has been registered in this regard, and it appears the video may have been made under duress or coercion.
Since the Pahalgam terror attack, the internet has been rife with misinformation. While a terrorist organisation linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) called “The Resistance Front” (TRF) claimed responsibility for the attack, Pakistan has denied involvement in the incident.
Reeling from devastating strikes by India, Pakistan has taken to peddling fake news and misinformation on social media in a deliberate attempt to distort international perception and manipulate public perception. The efforts of the PIB Fact Check unit in debunking fake news and dispelling myths have been vital in helping citizens distinguish between facts and false information.