India's false thunder fizzles in face of reality

Propaganda crumbles as Pakistan's economic hub pulsates with life, unity, and defiance

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KARACHI:

If one were to believe the shrill drumbeats echoing from Indian newsrooms, Karachi — a vibrant metropolis of over 30 million — would have been reduced to nothing but rubble. But just like all other lies, deceit and shenanigans that originate across the border, this too has been unmasked as fiction, not fact. Indian media's hollow cries of an "attack on Karachi" are yet another chapter in a tired playbook of fearmongering, spun not for truth, but for optics. Yet, Karachi stands tall — unbroken, undisturbed, and unimpressed.

The Express Tribune has investigated the Indian media's false propaganda about an attack on Karachi and has brought to light the real situation in the city. Amid breathless Indian media reports claiming devastation and emergency in Karachi following a supposed attack, the facts on the ground tell a very different story — one of calm, continuity, and resilience. The only thing under siege was the truth itself, as Indian anchors peddled panic from behind studio desks, far removed from the ground reality.

Business districts are buzzing, streets are jammed with everyday hustle, and commercial life pulses unimpeded across the metropolis. From Keamari to Korangi, Machar Colony to Malir, no trace of disruption can be found. Public transport runs routinely, cargo flows unhalted, and the city's famously tireless populace continues its daily rhythm — entirely unaffected by foreign fiction. In a striking twist, even the traffic jams once cursed by commuters were now seen as a welcome sign of peace — proof that life in the city marches on, loud and proud.

Many voices from across Karachi have condemned what they call India's media warfare, aimed at pacifying its domestic audience with tales of manufactured triumph. "This is nothing more than psychological warfare," said Patron-in-Chief of the Karachi Traders Alliance Khawaja Jamal Sethi. "Karachi is open. Our markets, our petrol pumps, our lives - all are operating as normal. India is waging a war of words because it cannot win a war of truth."

President of the Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance Malik Shehzad Awan confirmed that no disruption had occurred in cargo or commuter movement. "India is spinning tales, but the world can see that Karachi neither sleeps nor is scared."

Echoing the sentiment, senior political analyst Zia Abbas pointedly remarked, "Modi's government has suffered military, moral, and diplomatic defeats. Now they are clutching at the straws of media warfare, but Pakistan sees through the façade — and so does the world."

From minority leaders like Naveed Bhatti, who reaffirmed that the city's diverse communities feel safe and stand united, to humanitarian workers like Chhipa's Chaudhry Shahid Hussain, who called Indian claims "utter fabrications".

Sindh's Minister for Local Government, Saeed Ghani, summed it up as "there is no emergency, no attack, and no disruption. This is Indian propaganda at its worst — and it has failed. Citizens from all religions and communities in the city are united."