Mahira Khan calls India's 'Operation Sindoor' a 'heinous provocation'
What's the story
Pakistani actor Mahira Khan has courted controversy with a passionate Instagram post, slamming India's military response and media narratives after Operation Sindoor. The Indian Army launched the operation on Wednesday in direct retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which killed 26, mostly tourists. Eyewitness accounts revealed that attackers targeted victims based on their religion, heightening tensions between India and Pakistan.
Controversy
'Shame on you,' Khan added in her post
Khan's viral post did not mention Pahalgam killings but condemned India's military action as unjustified and provocative. "You attack cities in the middle of the night and call it a victory? Shame on you," she wrote, pledging unwavering loyalty to Pakistan, and calling for peace. The "precise and coordinated strike," as Indian officials described it, targeted nine terror camps-four in Pakistan, and five in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Media criticism
Khan accused Indian media of fueling hatred
In her post, Khan wrote, "I am grateful that I live in a country where I am not dictated to say what I have to. I have a voice and I CAN use it." She accused the Indian media of fueling hatred and alleged that many of India's influential voices remain silent in the face of "genocide and war crimes." Khan ended her message by writing, "May we never stoop to that level, even after such a heinous provocation."
Twitter Post
Read Khan's story here
In a world full of hania amir be mahira khan... pic.twitter.com/4DivNZFxKQ
— 𝙏𝘼𝙕 (@MindfulCritique) May 7, 2025
Operation details
Pakistani celebrities slammed
Along with Khan, Hania Aamir and Fawad Khan also criticized the move on social media, calling it "cowardly." Their posts sparked backlash online, especially from Indian users, with some accusing them of hypocrisy. Earlier, Indian authorities geo-blocked their Instagram accounts for Indian users, citing legal compliance. The situation has widened the digital and ideological divide between artists on both sides of the border.