Indus Treaty Fallout? Leaked ISPR Directives Reveal Pakistan's Multi‑Front Media Push Against India

Last Updated:July 03, 2026, 14:46 IST

A major part of the strategy is said to involve highlighting Sikh grievances in Punjab and supporting the overseas Khalistan referendum

Leaked directives appear to show Pakistan’s military preparing a coordinated media campaign aimed at countering India on multiple fronts after fallout linked to the Indus water dispute. The material, attributed to the Directorate General of Inter-Services Public Relations, or DG ISPR, calls for a broad narrative push focused on Jammu and Kashmir, Sikh issues, minority concerns and criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Sources said the plan took shape after the Indus Water Conference and is being framed as a global effort to challenge the Indian government’s messaging. The directives reportedly urge Pakistan’s media ecosystem to intensify coverage of what it describes as atrocities in Jammu and Kashmir and to keep those developments at the center of talk shows, vlogs and online commentary.

The leaked guidance also says DG ISPR Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif held a briefing in Rawalpindi with mainstream anchors and top vloggers. Participants were reportedly told to focus on key geopolitical flashpoints and high anti-India elements in their programmes, with the aim of building a counter-narrative through both traditional broadcasting and digital platforms.

A major part of the reported strategy is said to involve highlighting Sikh grievances in Punjab and among Sikh communities overseas. The directives also allegedly tell media figures to support the overseas Khalistan referendum, a move that the inputs say is intended to increase friction in Punjab and deepen pressure on New Delhi.

The material further says Pakistani media outlets were instructed to spotlight poverty and safety challenges within India, presenting them as signs of domestic instability. It also claims the campaign is meant to amplify anti-Modi and pro-Pakistan remarks from Indian opposition figures, including members of the Congress, as part of a wider critique of PM Modi’s domestic and foreign policy.

The reported strategy reflects what the sources describe as a deliberate attempt by Pakistan’s military establishment to use anchors, vloggers and online platforms to project a global counter-narrative against India. By pushing attention toward Kashmir, Sikh grievances, minority concerns and internal Indian challenges, the directives allegedly aim to shape perceptions far beyond Pakistan’s borders.

About the Author

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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