How Indian media brand Kashmir teacher as ‘terrorist’ after death in shelling

Farooq Ahmed is still consumed by anger over the death of his brother, Mohammad Iqbal, a teacher killed in cross-border shelling in Poonch, Indian-administered Kashmir, on May 7, 2025. 

The shelling followed India’s airstrikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, launched in retaliation for a militant attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people. Pakistan denies involvement in the attack.

Iqbal, a long-time educator at Zia-ul-Uloom madrassa in Poonch, was killed at his workplace. However, his death sparked a wave of misinformation when several Indian media outlets falsely labelled him a terrorist. “They saw his beard and skullcap and branded him a terrorist,” Farooq told BBC. “It was like salt in our wounds. The dead can’t defend themselves.”

Indian officials report 16 deaths, including Iqbal, in the four-day military conflict triggered by the airstrikes, while Pakistan claims 40 civilian deaths, with the exact toll from shelling unclear. The two nations, both claiming Kashmir in full, have fought three wars over the region since 1947 and recently narrowly avoided another.

Amid the conflict, a disinformation war unfolded on social media and TV, with false claims like India destroying Pakistan’s Karachi port (later debunked) and an AI-generated video of a Pakistani general admitting to losses. Manisha Pande, managing editor at Newslaundry, called the media’s “jingoistic and irresponsible coverage” unprecedented, noting its scale of misinformation.

Farooq recounted that Iqbal left for work as usual on May 7 but returned home dead. The family, unaware of the false reports during his burial, later received a WhatsApp video from a relative showing a news channel claiming Iqbal was a terrorist killed in an Indian strike on a Lashkar-e-Taiba camp in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Outlets like Zee News, ABP, and News18 propagated the claim. The BBC has contacted these channels for comment.

“Our family has lived in Poonch for generations. How can they say Iqbal was in Pakistan?” Farooq said. On May 8, Poonch police issued a statement refuting the claims, confirming Iqbal was a respected religious figure with no terror affiliations and warning of legal action against those spreading false narratives. However, Farooq believes the damage was already done, with the misinformation reaching millions.

Only News18 has publicly apologised for the error. Farooq wants to pursue legal action but is constrained by financial struggles, as Iqbal, the family’s sole breadwinner, left behind two wives and eight children. Government compensation of a few million rupees will only sustain them for a year or two. “Iqbal was a gentle teacher who loved children,” Farooq said. “But to many, he’s still a terrorist. How will they understand our pain?”