Inside Pakistan's 'Kashmir Solidarity Day' Propaganda After Op Sindoor Setback

In the aftermath of what officials privately describe as an "embarrassing military and diplomatic setback" during India's Operation Sindoor in May last year, Pakistan has mounted one of its most extensive disinformation campaigns in recent years, using the so-called "Kashmir Solidarity Day" on February 5 as the centrepiece of a coordinated global propaganda drive, according to intelligence sources.

Documents reviewed by security agencies, accessed exclusively by NDTV, indicate that the observance of "Kashmir Solidarity Day" this year went far beyond symbolic solidarity. Instead, it became a carefully orchestrated, state-directed propaganda exercise involving Pakistan's federal and provincial governments, diplomatic missions abroad, educational institutions, religious bodies, cultural organisations, student groups and media outlets, all mobilised to amplify an anti-India narrative with the main motive being internationalisation of the Kashmir issue.  

Intelligence assessments suggest that the systematic disinformation campaign was designed to repair Pakistan's narrative credibility after Operation Sindoor exposed Islamabad's continued links with cross-border terrorism infrastructure. Officials said the scale and structure of the February 5 events indicate a deliberate attempt to shift global attention away from Pakistan's reputation as what India has often termed as the "mothership of terrorism" and instead recast itself as a champion of "Kashmiri rights".

The Shehbaz Sharif government in Pakistan declared a nationwide public holiday and issued directions for rallies, marches, seminars, prayer events and even symbolic human chains across cities. Television and radio networks were instructed to air special programming centred on Kashmir, while transport systems, public buildings and institutions were visually branded with Kashmir-related messaging.  

Particularly notable, intelligence sources said, were detailed directives issued by Islamabad mandating participation from schools, colleges, arts councils and district administrations. Essay competitions, debates, puppet shows, documentaries, photo exhibitions and even metro bus branding were deployed to reinforce the narrative at the grassroots level. The Punjab Assembly was expected to pass a resolution, while senior provincial leaders issued statements aligned with the theme.  

Simultaneously, Pakistan's diplomatic missions in countries including Sweden, Canada, Australia, Oman, Thailand, Belgium and Cote d'Ivoire organised exhibitions, seminars and community events framed around alleged human rights issues in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Embassies coordinated messaging, often using identical terminology and hashtags on social media, suggesting centralised planning.  

A cultural dimension was also added through the launch and international tour of a pictorial exhibition titled "Kashmir: Wait and See" by a European photojournalist, timed to coincide with the solidarity events in Islamabad, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and Lahore. Intelligence officials view this as an attempt at "cultural diplomacy aimed at Western audiences."  

Pakistan's deception extended deep into civil society. Chambers of commerce, church groups, universities, student councils and Pakistan-backed organisations hosted declamation contests, seminars and essay competitions centred on Kashmir themes under pressure and clear direction of the Pakistan deep state. For the first time, even the Bangladeshi Students' Association in Pakistan publicly aligned with the messaging, which agencies interpret as an effort to project broader regional endorsement.  

Social media analysis cited in the assessment shows that nearly 85 per cent of posts related to Kashmir Solidarity Day carried strongly negative messaging about India. A surge in coordinated posts began around January 19, led by official Pakistani accounts and diplomatic handles using standardised hashtags such as #IIOJK, #FreeKashmir and #KashmirSolidarityDay.  

Security officials argue that the sheer scale of synchronisation, from ministries to missions abroad to student bodies, reveals a centrally managed desperate narrative push. "This is not routine observance. This is narrative warfare designed to offset reputational damage after Operation Sindoor and to divert attention from Pakistan's continued patronage of terror networks," an intelligence officer said on condition of anonymity.

As India continues to press its case internationally about cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistani soil, Pakistan's Kashmir Solidarity Day this year appears to have evolved into a global messaging operation, one that intelligence agencies believe is as much about damage control as it is about reigniting terrorism in India's Jammu & Kashmir.