Noreen Khan Niazi, the sister of incarcerated former prime minister (PM) Imran Khan, is facing severe backlash for saying that the deadly Pakistan-India clashes from May 2025 were “a staged drama”.
Speaking during an interview with a digital media outlet, Niazi insisted that past military accomplishments against India were “fabricated” and “a drama was staged in collusion with Modi” last year.
She questioned the capability of the domestic response compared to the size of the neighbouring country, saying, “If Modi wanted to… why did Modi stop? Was he scared? It is such a huge country, you look at that country.”
The reckless statements rooted in anti-military bias of her brother’s party did not sit well with netizens who expressed intense outrage.
They particularly hit out at Niazi regarding her assertion that Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi could have “fixed Pakistan in two minutes”.
Social media users labelled her remarks as disrespectful to the state and the armed forces, with several critics pointing out the logical flaws in her argument. Netizens questioned why India would intentionally lose a military standoff, asking, “Basic logical question that why would Moodi agree to stage a drama and loose it and ruin their image in front of the world and their own people?”
A number of people described the comments as “tone deaf, brain dead”, and the product of a “sick minded family”.
Others asserted that the statements exposed a broader mindset within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership that must be confronted.
Earlier, Niazi also alleged that the regional tensions were orchestrated by external forces to alter national foreign policy. “Israel was behind it, keep this in mind,” she asserted, adding, “They had to make Pakistan recognise Israel. This conflict with Iran just disrupted it. What was it? Dubai and others already did it, right? Now it was Pakistan’s turn.”
She went on to question United States (US) President Donald Trump’s motivation for praising Pakistani leadership, asking, “Why does Trump praise them? Do you think Trump likes them? Trump is just a savage sort of man who is so shaken up in his own country… his people are against him. Trump does not even have his own seat secure.”
While she clarified that these observations were entirely her own perspective, stating, no one had told her this but it was her “own intellect”, further reactions from the public criticised the political impact of the same.
Critics called for legal accountability, stating, “Noreen Niazi’s remarks are deeply irresponsible and disrespectful to Pakistan.”
“Calling a serious military confrontation a ‘staged drama’ without credible evidence undermines the sacrifices of those who serve the country. Public figures should unite the nation with facts and responsibility, not spread speculation that damages Pakistan’s credibility. She must be detained and prosecuted,” wrote one user.
