ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s intelligence agencies have exposed India’s plan for another “false flag” operation using Pakistani prisoners held in Indian custody to shift blame onto Pakistan as a pretext for border escalation, security sources said on Monday.
Pakistani nationals, particularly Kashmiris who have inadvertently crossed into India, could be used in the false flag operation to shape anti-Pakistan narratives in the Indian media, the sources said, citing credible reports.
The sources said Pakistan’s intelligence agencies have decoded secret Indian communications indicating preparations for another false flag operation.
According to security sources, Pakistani nationals — particularly Kashmiris who have inadvertently crossed into India — could be used in the operation to shape anti-Pakistan narratives in Indian media.
After the planned false flag operation, India aims to falsely blame Pakistan, creating a manufactured pretext to drag Pakistan into conflict along its eastern border, sources said.
Hundreds of Pakistani prisoners, including Kashmiris, are currently held in Indian custody, security sources said. Some of these Pakistani prisoners have already moved from different Indian prisons and gathered at undisclosed locations, the sources revealed.
Sources further claimed that India intends to transport selected Pakistani prisoners to border areas in Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir, where they could be used to stage an incident.
The objective would be to accuse Pakistan of involvement and create grounds for escalating tensions along the border, security sources said.
There are also reports, according to the sources, that some Indian prisoners may be included in the plan to make the false flag operation appear more credible.
Security sources said the plan is aimed at diverting attention from diplomatic challenges and creating a pretext for increased hostilities with Pakistan.
“By using Pakistani prisoners, India wants to blame Pakistan for a major incident and justify escalation,” a security source said.
The sources added that the broader objective could be to engage Pakistan’s military along the eastern border amid Pakistan’s ongoing large scale counter terrorism operation against terrorist groups based in Afghanistan.
India’s external intelligence agency, RAW, along with senior officials, could play a role in shaping the narrative around such a false flag operation, security sources said.
According to the sources, Indian media may be used to amplify the anti-Pakistani narrative following the planned false flag operation, sources said.
The Indian government’s approach is an attempt to revive a “worn-out narrative” against Pakistan, sources said.
The operation is part of a broader Indian strategy, as, after global humiliation and diplomatic setbacks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is desperate to defame Pakistan.
New Delhi is reportedly turning to proxy tactics, including sponsoring Afghanistan-based terrorist groups to launch attacks inside Pakistan.
India is increasingly relying on covert operations and cross-border terrorism to destabilise Pakistan, rather than military engagement, as Islamabad shot down several jets in last year’s skirmishes.
Security sources claim that India’s false flag operation would directly involve the names of the released prisoners, turning them into unwitting actors in a manufactured provocation.
Pakistani intelligence, however, has successfully intercepted and decoded India’s communications, exposing the full scope of the alleged plot before it could be executed.
These fresh intel reports put Pakistan on high alert along its eastern borders, with security agencies warning that India may attempt to escalate tensions using both direct and proxy means.
The sources further claimed that previous allegations made by India in similar false flag operations had not been substantiated with any publicly available, credible evidence.
The allegations come against the backdrop of past false flag operations that have heightened tensions between the two countries.
These include the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Uri attack, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing and the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, all of which led to sharp escalations between India and Pakistan.
India has attributed these attacks to Pakistan, without presenting any credible evidence, while Pakistan has strongly rejected such allegations and called for independent and transparent investigations in all cases.
