08 May,2026 02:41 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Pakistan`s Muslim Women League activists march during a rally in Lahore to mark one year of India-Pakistan conflict in Indian-administered Kashmir. Pic/AFP
Victory slogans echoed through Pakistan's streets and celebratory rallies filled city squares after Operation Sindoor, but a very different story was unfolding behind the scenes.
While the Pakistan establishment projected strength and retaliation, terror camps lay in ruins. Questions were being raised within terror groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Tayiba against the very agencies that once promised protection after their infrastructure was heavily damaged, as per IANS.
Officials said that after the operation ended, Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir allegedly directed the government of Shehbaz Sharif to release Rs 500 crore for public programmes across the country.
The funds were reportedly distributed among federal units, business groups and religious organisations to organise large rallies and processions under a programme called "Ashra-e-Tashakur Fateh-E-Muneeb," meaning ten days of gratitude for a decisive victory.
An official said, "Events were strategically planned across Pakistan to commemorate fake victory," reported IANS.
Officials also claimed that social media campaigns were run aggressively to support the narrative that Pakistan had emerged successful after the conflict.
According to officials, the reality on the ground was very different from the celebrations being projected publicly.
During Operation Sindoor, Jaish-e-Mohammad's headquarters in Bahawalpur was allegedly destroyed. Officials said several family members of Jaish chief Masood Azhar and many cadres were killed in the strike, reported IANS.
Similarly, Lashkar-e-Tayiba's Muridke camp, considered one of its main training centres, was also severely damaged during the operation, as per the news agency.
Officials noted that while these groups had previously faced encounters and losses in India, "never have they been struck so hard and that too deep inside Pakistan."
An Intelligence Bureau official claimed that the destruction caused by the strikes led to growing dissatisfaction within the ranks of the terror groups. According to the official, both Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed allegedly questioned the Pakistan Army and the ISI over the failure to protect their camps and leadership.
"These groups have been operating with ease only due to the funds and protection that the Army and the ISI offer them," the official said.
Officials further claimed that several cadres also began questioning their own leadership after witnessing the losses.
Officials said that during the rallies organised after the operation, cadres of Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad were encouraged to participate openly. According to experts tracking developments in Pakistan, this exposed the close links between Pakistan's establishment and globally banned terror organisations.
One official remarked that in trying to project victory, the Pakistan Army "ended up showcasing to the world" that such terror groups continued to operate freely within its ecosystem.
Pakistan watchers and security experts described the post-operation rallies as an attempt by the Pakistan Army to manage public perception and protect its image.
Officials claimed that while some sections of the public may have accepted the victory narrative, the terror groups themselves remained deeply unhappy over the losses suffered during Operation Sindoor.
(With IANS Inputs)
