'No terrorist camps here,' claims Pakistan minister; reporter fact-checks him
What's the story
Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar was fact-checked during a live interview on Sky News when he claimed that India's 'Operation Sindoor' targeted civilian sites. Shutting him down, host Yalda Hakim stated that the "Indian armed forces have said that they only targeted terrorist camps and not Pakistani military facilities." Under 'Operation Sindoor,' India struck nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) with missiles, killing as many as 70 terrorists.
Firm stance
Tarar's denial of terrorist camps in Pakistan
However, Tarar went on to refute the claims by India that only terror camps were targeted, saying, "Let me make it very clear, there are no terrorist camps in Pakistan. Pakistan is a victim of terrorism." He added that his country was leading the fight against terrorism and had sacrificed 90,000 lives in the struggle. "India, on the other hand, when we had the Jafar Express hijacking, India did not even condemn it, let alone express any concern," he added.
Twitter Post
Watch the interview here
Pakistani information minister Ataullah Tarar just went up on Sky News. It didn’t go as planned. Incredible work by @SkyYaldaHakim 👏 pic.twitter.com/pNKJvrjIGo
— Shubhangi Sharma (@ItsShubhangi) May 6, 2025
Historical context
Hakim highlights Pakistan's history of supporting terrorism
Hakim responded to Tarar's claims by quoting a recent admission by Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif. She pointed out how Asif had admitted on her show to his country's three-decade-long "dirty work" of sponsoring terrorism. "In fact, in 2018, President Donald Trump cut military aid to Pakistan because he accused Pakistan of playing a double game," she said. She also quoted General Parvez Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto and Bilawal Bhutto on Pakistan's history of funding and backing terrorist organizations.
Counter-arguments
Tarar's response and invitation to Hakim
Responding to Hakim's points, Tarar said Pakistan has been a frontline state in the war against terror since 9/11. He then invited Hakim to visit Pakistan, at which point she reminded him that Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 terror attack, was located and killed by US forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in 2011. "I have been to Pakistan, and we know that Osama Bin Laden was discovered in Abbottabad in Pakistan," she said.
Justification
India's stance on recent military action
After the strikes, India claimed its right to preempt and deter further cross-border attacks. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said intelligence reports had suggested that more terror attacks like the Pahalgam incident were being planned against India. "Thus, compulsion, both to deter and prevent..India exercised its right to respond to deter such cross-border terrorism...Our actions were measured and non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible. They focused on dismantling terrorists' infrastructure," he said.