A confidential document allegedly exposing a planned false flag operation by India’s premier intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has surfaced on the messaging platform Telegram, according to multiple reports published by Pakistani media outlets.
The document, described as a strategic directive on “psy ops and narrative control,” has triggered serious concern across South Asia, especially in light of what Pakistani defence analysts see as a long-standing pattern of misinformation and manipulation by Indian authorities to malign Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
According to Pakistani media citing intelligence sources, the leaked file details a staged operation planned for Pahalgam in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). It outlines a complex strategy to assign blame to Pakistan following an attack, complete with instructions to delay public attribution by 36 hours in order to enhance credibility. However, Indian media allegedly disregarded this directive, immediately pointing fingers at Pakistan, thereby compromising the plan’s plausibility.
The file further includes operational instructions for deploying undercover agents disguised as tourists and embedding journalists at the scene days in advance. AI-generated witness statements and fabricated video footage were reportedly to be disseminated via more than 200 decentralized social media accounts designed to avoid detection by operating without central hashtags.
Crucially, the leaked document reportedly frames the attack as one targeting non-Muslim communities and the Indian state, with an objective to link the violence to a global Islamic threat—deflecting focus from the local Kashmiri resistance and human rights situation. Pakistani analysts argue that this narrative manipulation is intended to justify India’s security policies in Kashmir and garner international sympathy, especially ahead of high-level diplomatic engagements.
A particularly alarming detail in the leak is the alleged plan by India’s Northern Command to plant forged documents near the site of the attack to implicate ISI operatives. These “forensically leaked” materials were reportedly meant to bolster the false narrative and create diplomatic pressure on Pakistan.
The operation’s timing appears to coincide with the visit of U.S. Vice President JD Vance to India, raising questions about the geopolitical motivations behind the plan. Pakistani media also highlighted speculation that the leak may have originated from dissenting voices within RAW itself, possibly in protest against the rising influence of Hindutva ideology within Indian institutions.
The document further references a backup plan in Shopian district and provides military guidance to limit movement across the Line of Control (LoC), warning against exceeding 1.3 km to avoid potential intervention by the United Nations or China. An alternative operational route under the codename “TANGO-ECHO” was also outlined.
Pakistani defence experts have condemned what they describe as a disturbing tactic by the Modi-led government to exploit civilian casualties for political gain. “This leak only reinforces Pakistan’s long-standing position that India routinely stages such events to build false narratives against Islamabad,” one senior analyst told Pakistani media.
Meanwhile, questions surrounding India’s internal security readiness have also been raised. According to India’s PTI news agency, Siddaramaiah, a senior Congress Party leader, criticized the absence of Indian Army personnel in the area despite the region being heavily militarized. “Isn’t this a security failure?” he asked, pointing to the nearly 200,000 security forces deployed across Jammu and Kashmir.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that attackers had up to 40 minutes to flee the scene before Indian security could respond, with early reports coming from locals assisting tourists. Former U.S. diplomat Ashley Tellis also weighed in, noting that the sophistication of the attack suggests “significant improvements” in militant capabilities and possible gaps in Indian surveillance.
