Australia’s major city Sydney was shaken by a terrorist attack on its beach, which not only left the Australian public in shock but also presented another example of fifth-generation warfare at the global level, when on 14 December 2025 a father, Sajid Akram, and his son, Naveed Akram, opened fire during a Hanukkah ceremony, killing 16 people and injuring 40.
Today, Indian media is also acknowledging that the attackers were not linked to Pakistan but to India. In police retaliatory action, one person was killed while the other was arrested in an injured condition. Subsequently, New South Wales Police stated that the suspects had opened fire during a Jewish Hanukkah ceremony on the beach.
Police said that from the suspects’ vehicle, locally made explosive material and two hand-made flags linked to ISIS were also recovered. The suspects targeted hundreds of people with gunfire for 10 minutes. People were seen running in different directions and taking shelter, after which police sprang into action and returned fire on both suspects. According to ABC News, both attackers had gone to the Philippines on Indian passports to receive militant training prior to the Sydney attack. Border authorities in Manila also stated that 50-year-old Sajid Akram went to the Philippines on an Indian passport, while his 24-year-old son Naveed reached the Philippines using an Australian passport. The Philippines has also been facing militancy from its southern region for a long time. In 2017, fighters who pledged allegiance to ISIS captured a city called Marawi, leading to fighting that continued for five months.
However, immediately after the Sydney attack, an organized propaganda campaign was launched in which attempts were made to link Pakistan to the attack. Indian and Afghan social media accounts spread false information claiming that the attackers were Pakistani, as a result of which an innocent Pakistani citizen was wrongly identified and began receiving death threats. Pakistan’s Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar termed it a coordinated campaign by India and Israel, aimed at weakening Pakistan’s war against terrorism. No verifiable evidence was found linking the attack to Pakistan, and Pakistan immediately challenged this narrative, which proved to be an effective counter-narrative.
Later, this reality was also acknowledged by Indian media that the attacker Sajid Akram (50 years old) was of Indian origin, belonged to Hyderabad (India), and possessed an Indian passport. The father and son visited the Philippines in November 2025, where they entered on Indian passports. India initially avoided accepting this and remained silent until Philippine immigration authorities disclosed these details.
Recently, former Chief Minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan, said that India had already lost on the very first day of Operation Sindoor. He demanded impartial investigations into the operation, which angered BJP leaders who demanded an apology from him; however, Prithviraj said, why should I apologize? Not only this, he even said that wars will now be fought not on the ground but through air and missiles. During Operation Sindoor, we saw that the army did not make even one kilometer of ground advance. Within 2 to 3 days, the war was fought entirely through air and missiles. Such wars will also take place in the future. Do we really need to maintain 1.2 million ground troops? His statement also raised questions about the very existence of the Indian army.
Now we return to the Sydney attack. Before the attack, the attackers visited that area of the Philippines where Abu Sayyaf and remnants of ISIS are active, and areas like Marawi have been strongholds of ISIS. The presence of ISIS flags and the nature of the attack raise the question of whether this was merely a coincidence or the result of an organized movement. Philippine authorities rejected claims of training, but the timing of the visit is suspicious.
In the past, Indian networks have been accused in the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and in the attempted assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States, which are now under trial in courts. These are clear examples of illegal actions by India and cross-border incursions into the territorial limits of other countries. As Prithviraj Chavan acknowledged, today’s war is not conventional but information warfare. Misinformation and disinformation are considered formal weapons of fifth-generation war, in which social media, diplomatic channels, and global statements are used. In the Sydney incident, it was seen how a false narrative was rapidly spread.
Pakistan will also have to compel its diplomats to play an active role through the media so that, through public diplomacy, facts are presented before the publics of relevant countries. Resolutions should be presented in collaboration with the United Nations, the European Union, and countries affected by cross-border terrorism. Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war against terrorism, including thousands of martyrs and losses amounting to billions of dollars, should be clearly highlighted before the international community.
In fact, after failing in direct confrontation, India is adopting a strategy to defame Pakistan, inflict economic damage, and tarnish Pakistan’s global image, which has recently reached its peak. This can only be countered through consistent, aggressive, and coordinated diplomacy. From the Battle for Truth to the Sydney incident, Pakistan has proven that truth, transparency, and timely response can defeat enemy propaganda. The time has come for the international community to take notice of Indian disinformation and transnational activities and to expose Indian propaganda carried out against Pakistan before the world.
