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Misleading Video Circulates Amid Tensions Between India and Pakistan Following Deadly Kashmir Attack
Following India’s allegation that Pakistan supported a deadly offensive targeting tourists in Kashmir—a claim refuted by Islamabad—a video emerged. It falsely purported to show a perpetrator confessing to being dispatched by Pakistan’s intelligence agency. However, the video has circulated in news reports since 2022. As of April 30, authorities have not apprehended any suspects linked to the recent assault.
A Hindi-language caption accompanying a Facebook video posted on April 27, 2025, reads, “Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, listen to what the terrorist apprehended in the Pahalgam attack said.”
Video Content and Background
Details of the Video
The footage displays an individual in a hospital bed during an interview. He identifies himself as Tabarak Hussain and alleges that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency sent him to conduct operations in Kashmir.
Recent Tensions and the Pahalgam Attack
The video resurfaced amidst escalating hostilities between New Delhi and Islamabad following a fatal onslaught on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. Illegal armed combatants targeted tourists in the town of Pahalgam, resulting in the fatalities of 26 men. This incident marked the deadliest attack on civilians in the disputed Himalayan region in 25 years.
India frequently accuses Pakistan of backing militants in the Muslim-majority area. Post the Pahalgam incident, India maintained that Islamabad supported “cross-border terrorism,” a charge that Pakistan vehemently denies, labeling India’s assertions as baseless.
Circulation of the Video
The same video was also disseminated across similar posts on Facebook and X. However, its initial circulation dates back to August 2022. As of April 30, Indian law enforcement has not captured the alleged assailants.
Ongoing Investigations and Rewards
Authorities published Wanted notices for three suspects—two Pakistani nationals and one Indian—believed to be members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, classified as a terrorist organization by the UN. A two million rupee reward, equivalent to approximately $23,500, has been offered for information leading to their arrest.
The investigation remains active, with no connections yet established to the recent Kashmir attack and the disputed footage.
Debunking the Claim
Details of the Original Video
The microphone in the disputed video bears the insignia of the Indian news outlet Aaj Tak. Subsequently, the video was traced to a longer version published on Aaj Tak’s website on August 25, 2022.
Embedded within a report titled, “Weapons, ammunition, and Pakistani currency; Major terrorist plot foiled in Jammu and Kashmir,” the footage shows security forces apprehending an individual attempting to infiltrate the Line of Control. The person asserted that Pakistani intelligence dispatched him to attack Indian military positions.
According to reports, he succumbed to a cardiac arrest shortly afterward.
Denying this account, Pakistani authorities registered a strong protest with India over the alleged “extra-judicial killing of Tabarak Hussain” and the spread of misinformation. Islamabad described Hussain as a “mismanaged refugee erroneously straying across the border” suggesting the false rumours that he was sent by Pakistani defence forces as being a targeted defacement.
Debunking Additional Claims
A similar pattern where identical images and videos are manipulated to spread misinformation in the wake of high-profile attacks in Kashmir was addressed previously. Managing misinformation in conflict zones ensures the integrity of ongoing peace processes.