The two-part docuseries ‘Declassified: Operation Sindoor’ that portrayed the planning and execution of India’s anti-terrorism campaign against Pakistanis responsible for the Pahalgam murders has triggered Islamabad so much that the military rushed to defend itself, calling the documentary a “theatrical attempt”.
A day after the documentary was aired, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) rushed with an explanation, repeating its void claim of success. “More than a year after Marka-e-Haq, India refuses to face the harsh reality. Instead of conceding defeat in a failed venture, India has decided to colour history in her preferred hues,” ISPR said.
This is despite the country suffering heavy strategic and infrastructure damage, including the loss of 5 to 6 fighter jets (mostly F-16s and JF-17s). International media had also reported how Indian missiles damaged the country’s key airbases like Rahim Yar Khan and Jacobabad.
The documentary provides first-hand accounts from senior Indian military and national security officials, including NSA Ajit Doval, about the 88-hour tri-services operation launched by India. The series also sheds light on how India intercepted Pakistan’s high-speed missile aimed at Delhi, before firing BrahMos cruise missiles against a series of Pakistani airbases. While the first phase targeted Rafiqui, Sukkur, Rahim Yar Khan and Nur Khan, the second wave struck Sargodha, Bholari and Jacobabad.
Despite satellite images showing the vast destruction, the ISPR went on to claim that the documentary was a “highly dramatised, coloured and factually inaccurate account”. It also accused the documentary of employing selectively edited interviews, emotional narration and cinematic Bollywood-style reconstruction to alter facts.
Pakistan also vainly tried to dispel the established connection between the Pakistan Army Chief’s inflammatory speech, stating that the documentary conjured a conspiracy theory out of nothing.
“These competing claims expose the production as a carefully constructed domestic narrative rather than an objective military account,” ISPR said, adding: “India has not declassified the truth. It has cobbled together a propaganda video to project a military blunder as a successful endeavour.”
It then went on to issue another veiled threat, stating that any future military misadventure will be met with a firm, decisive and disproportionate response.
