The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday dismissed reports of the Indian media claiming that Pakistan used nuclear-capable Shaheen missiles during the recent tensions with India.
New Delhi had accused Islamabad, without evidence, of orchestrating last month’s deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Pakistan had strongly denied the allegations and called for a neutral probe. As the situation turned into a military confrontation between the nuclear powers, it took American intervention for both sides to agree to a ceasefire.
A day earlier, the Indian army claimed that Pakistan launched a nuclear-capable Shaheen missile at India during the intense shelling, News Arena India reported. A video released by the Indian army allegedly showed the use of the Shaheen missile during the recent crossfire, according to NDTV.
In a statement today, FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has firmly rejected the unfounded allegations circulating in certain segments of the Indian media, which falsely claim that Pakistan employed the Shaheen missile during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos.”
He said that the Indian army deleted the “misleading video” after realising that the claim was “unsubstantiated”.
“Regrettably, some Indian outlets continue to propagate this misinformation,” he added.
The Indian army’s official account remained silent on the matter, “offering neither clarification nor retraction for the erroneous post”, according to the FO spokesperson.
The statement cited analysts, who observed that “such disinformation campaigns” were part of “a deliberate attempt to obscure India’s setbacks in Operation Sindoor”.
“These fabricated stories align with New Delhi’s ongoing efforts to promote a misleading narrative regarding the ceasefire and baseless allegations of so-called ‘nuclear blackmail’ by Pakistan.”
The FO spokesperson said, “Disseminating unverified and inflammatory content not only undermines regional stability but also reflects poorly on the professionalism of official institutions.”
On Sunday, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that Pakistan “will never bow down to Indian hegemony” as the recent ceasefire with India holds.
“The truth is that India is not the US and Pakistan is not Afghanistan. India is not Israel and Pakistan is not Palestine. Pakistan will never be deterred. It can never be coerced,” he added.
